Day 261 | Saturday, 5 December 2020

Day 261 - Audio Version

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Day 261 | Saturday, 5 December 2020

90 new cases in the county on Friday - Beware

 O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Stanza 2. –
O come, thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show
and cause us in her ways to go. 
Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel
         shall come to thee, O Israel.

Antiphon 2 – “O WISDOM, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: Come, and teach us the way of prudence.”
 
“Advent: Emmanuel.  God with us.  Lifting the fallen, carrying the lame, preparing a banquet, turning dead ends into new possibilities.  Emmanuel, God with us, remembering the poor, challenging the rich, feeding the hungry, inviting all to sing and dance.”

 A Prayer of Invocation for Advent:
“Eternal God of heaven and earth, rivers and seas, forests and glen, mountains and valleys but;  also God of city and village, freeways and highways, shopping malls and retail strips, time clocks and board meetings, classrooms and hospital rooms, tinsel and manger scenes: there is no place where you are not. You are here. Today. With us. Emmanuel. Amen.”

 An Advent Prayer:
“Oh Emmanuel, God with us, truly in this Advent season we celebrate that you are not hidden in some faraway cloud, but you chose to be with us in the blur and mystery of our lives. In the midst of lists and rush, you are with us as a song that echoes in our minds, as the light of a candle, as a card from a friend. They are signs of your presence. We turn to you this season and pray that you would birth joy and healing, blessing and hope in us. Let something wonderful begin in us- something surprising and holy. May your hand be upon us. Let your love fill us. Let your joy overwhelm us. Let our longing for you be met on a coming holy night. Emmanuel, with us once again. Amen”
 
“God With Us: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).

Immanuel! Immanuel means "God with us." The prophet was speaking not about a God who is in some faraway place, but a God who is near us, who comes to be with us - in our work, our play, our times together as a family.

Our first Advent candle was the sign that Jesus brings light and hope. We think about what Jesus' coming to the world means to the world.”
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A Prayer of Confession for Advent:
God of blessing and love, when the time was right you sent your Son to the world. Teach us the art of patience and give us an understanding of your wisdom. Forgive us for making this holy season of anticipation a whirlwind of lists and activities, a flood of joyless obligations and heartless generosity. Forgive our rush as we forgive those who rush past us. Lead us not into anxiety but deliver us from pretense. For your kingdom is coming with the power of love and the glory of angelic carols, now and forever, heralded by the birth of the Christ. Amen
 
Prayers for those living in the darkness of COVID-19 during this Advent season.