Endurance: Advent Daybook 16

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An Advent daybook for these weeks of prayerful expectation.

Pray:  Heavenly Father, make me more like Jesus and more like the true self you've created as I welcome your loving presence today. Please guide my thoughts and impressions by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Look: Sudarios, 2011, Erika Diettes - Source 

20 black and white photos on silk, each canvas measures 228 x 134 cm. The work has been exhibited in 12 cities in 7 countries (Poland, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, the United States and Colombia), always in holy places, such as churches, temples, chapels, and cloisters.

From Artway.eu: "On Erika Diettes’ website Sudarios is translated as ‘veils’ and as ‘shrouds.’ A shroud is a cloth that is used to wrap a deceased person before burial. The picture of the face and body of the deceased is impregnated in this cloth. In Sudarios it refers to the inner death of the women."

See more photos from this stunning exhibit here.

Listen*: Endurance in Christmas Time, Hymns from Nineveh - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube 

Read**: Psalm 41, 52, 44; Isaiah 8:16-9:1; 2 Peter 1:1-11; Luke 22:39-53 

Excerpts:

"Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah"

*

"All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!"

*

"I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. ...

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations."

*

"And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.' And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.'

While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him..."

*

"They say, 'A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.' Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!

By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen."

- Psalm 52:1-3 * Psalm 44:17-26 * Isaiah 8:17-18, 9:1 * Luke 22:39-47 * Psalm 41:8-13 (ESV)

Pray: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. 

Do: Welcome lament.

When's the last time you had a good cry? Yesterday? Last year? When you were six years old? When grief stacks up, as might be the case for many of us this year, we occasionally and counterintuitively lose our ability to cry. Sometimes when our body needs the release of tears, we need to approach our grief "sideways". Is there a book or movie or song that tends to get you choked up? (Like that scene in Little Women, for example? You know which one.) Maybe today or this week, let yourself enter the gift of tears through the language of fiction. Grab a box of tissue and let the tears come.

Especially if it's been a few months (or years!)

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For an introduction read this post: Advent Daybook Explained. You can see previous Advent daybook 2018 posts here.

* Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify: Advent 2020: Gracious Invitation. Add it to your account by clicking right clicking on the three dots and selecting "Save to Library".

** Sunday Scripture readings are taken from Year B of the Book of Common Prayer 2019 (Anglican Church of North America). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and include both Morning and Evening Psalms (Year 1).