Keep Yourselves in the Love of Christ: Advent Daybook 6

Take a few deep breaths, settle your body, mind, and heart into a quiet space, and let’s begin with prayer.

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

Look: Circle of Light, Tim Lowly - Source

Listen: Gloria, Gloria, Jess Ray. - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: Psalm 16, 17; Psalm 22; Amos 5:1-17; Jude 1-16; Matthew 22:1-14

Excerpts:

“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

*

“Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.”

*

“They hate the one who reproves in the gate,  and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

*

“It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage.

But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.”

*

Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

- Psalm 16:11 * Psalm 17:8-9 * Amos 5:10-15 * Jude 14-23 * Matthew 22:8-14 (NrSV)

Pray: The Lord's Prayer, paraphrased by Dallas Willard found in The Divine Conspiracy

Dear Father, always near us, may your name be treasured and loved. May your rule be completed in us— May your will be done here on earth in just the way it is done in heaven. Give us today the things we need today, And forgive us our sins and impositions on you as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us. Please don’t put us through trials, but deliver us from anything bad. Because you are the one in charge, and the glory too is all yours—forever— Which is just the way we want it! Amen.

Do: If you own more than one nativity set, consider combining them all into a caravan. 

Thanks to author and advocate Sarah Quezada for sharing this idea and photo from her friend: “I shared this week a glimpse of my friend Katie's mantel, where she's combined her nativity sets to create a caravan, similar to the one Mary and Joseph would have likely traveled with to Bethlehem.” 

"Did Mary and Joseph walk alone (and pregnant) to Bethlehem? Would no one really make space for them once they arrived? How did they respond when their child's life was in danger? I was blown away the first time I learned that the idea of Mary and Joseph walking alone to Bethlehem is a distinctively Western way of reading the Bible. It would have made sense at the time to be traveling in a large caravan of family members. It would've been safer.”

(From Sarah Quezada's series, "Advent Refuge: Seeking Safety With the Holy Family”)

You might also enjoy: Our favorite Advent & Christmas books (for all ages)

These daily devotional posts are available to those who subscribe at the Daybook ($5 a month) level. You can also purchase a one-time .pdf download of all 40 meditations for Advent & Christmastide in my Shop. You can see the entire Advent archive here.

* Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify: Make A Way: Advent 2021 .

** Sunday Scripture readings are taken from Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Daily Scripture readings are taken from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and include both Morning and Evening Psalms (Year 2).


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Thank you for keeping me company during these prayerful, expectant days. May we be reminded in our deepest hearts that we do not wait without hope!

Peace,

Tamara

p.s., Whether your friend joins us as a Daybook member to receive daily meditations in their inbox or purchases a one-time digital download of all 40 meditations + retreat guide, they’ll be able to jump in at any time while having access to previous posts from this year!