Advent Daybook, 8: Messenger
An Advent daybook for these 24 days of prayerful expectation. Join me, won't you?
For an introduction read this post: Advent Daybook explained. You can see previous Advent daybook 2018 posts here.
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Look: The Young Saint John the Baptist, Piero di Cosimo (Piero di Lorenzo di Piero d'Antonio)
(source)
Listen: "Prepare the Way” from 30 Songs of Contemplative Worship, Simply Taizé
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Read: Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:67-79, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6
Excerpts:
“‘Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
*
”And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
’Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’”
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”In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,... the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year C). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 1).
Pray:
“Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
Do:
Listen
Attend a live performance or listen to a quality recording of Handel’s Messiah.
“Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low…” (Luke 3:5a)
Listen to Handel's Messiah (especially Part 1).
As you listen, pray for all of those suffering loss and seeking justice in our world right now. Include yourself.
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(See all Advent Daybook posts from 2017 here.)