How long, oh Lord?: Advent Daybook 11
An Advent daybook for these weeks of prayerful expectation.
Pray: Heavenly Father, make me more like Jesus as I sit in your loving presence today. Please guide my thoughts and impressions by your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Look: A Rohinya refugee mother and child exodus from Myammar to Bangladesh.
According to the UNHCR more than 720,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar to cross the border and reach Bangladesh. A collage from the new book 'Parallel Universes of Children'. Uğur Gallenkuş. - Source
Listen*: Refugee King, Liz Vice w/ Hannah Glavor - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube
Read**: Psalm 38, 119:25-48; Isaiah 6:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; John 7:53-8:11
Excerpts:
"O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, 'Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!' "
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"Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word."
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"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'
And he said, 'Go, and say to this people:
'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.
Then I said, 'How long, O Lord?'
And he said: 'Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump."
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"This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
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"Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?' This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.' "
- Psalm 38:9-15 * Psalm 119:41-42* Isaiah 6:8-13 * 2 Thessalonians 1:5-8 * John 8:2-11 (ESV)
Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Prayers of the People (Form VI)
On Wednesdays, through Advent, we’ll practice an intercessory prayer method called “Prayers of the People”. This comprehensive format of call and response guides us through each sphere of our world with specific prayer. If you’re praying with a friend or family member, one of you can read the first part (the bidding) and one can read the second part (the response).
“In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work; For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For this community, the nation, and the world; For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation; For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble; For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God; For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For our church leaders; and all other ministers; For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of our congregation.
Silence
Add your own requests and petitions: ____________.
Hear us, Lord; For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
Add your own thanksgivings: ________________.
We will exalt you, O God our King; And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We think of all who have died in Christ, and thank you that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them; Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; in your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Silence
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. Alleluia!”
Do: Give to the most vulnerable.
If you're not already connected to an organization caring for the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers, here's a list of suggestions from Sarah Quezada's website: https://www.sarahquezada.com/resources.
For an introduction read this post: Advent Daybook Explained. You can see previous Advent daybook 2019 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).