Welcome to a Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. Click through the title link to see the full post.
Look: Pennsylvania Coal Town, Edward Hopper - Source
Listen: “Naked as We Came” from Our Endless Numbered Days, Iron & Wine - Spotify | YouTube | Lyrics
Read: Psalm 31; Jeremiah 24:1-10; Romans 9:19-33; John 9:1-17
Pray: Collect for Fifth Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer
Do: Fast from spending money, and feast on giving alms.
Read MoreWelcome to a Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. Click through the title link to see the full post.
Look: The Good Samaritan, after Delacroix, Vincent van Gogh - Source
Listen: “There Is A Balm In Gilead” from In Bright Mansions, The Fisk Jubilee Singers - Spotify | YouTube | Lyrics
Read: Psalm 119:97-120; Jeremiah 8:18-9:6; Romans 5:1-11; John 8:12-20
Pray: adapted from Romans 5:20
Do: Fast from preconceived notions (judgments). Feast on a hospitable imagination instead.
Read MoreAn 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.
Look: Annunciation, 1610, El Greco
Listen: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” from Medieval Christmas, Kemper Crabb
Read: Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:20b-23, Luke 1:46-55
Pray: “Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
Do: Bless someone you know who’s had a difficult year with a secret gift.
Read MoreAn 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.
Look: A violinist plays in the rubble of Jonah’s tomb, Muhammad Hamed (source)
Listen: “Carol of the Birds” from Christmas Songs, Fernando Ortega
Read: Psalm 37, Isaiah 7:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Luke 22:1-13
Pray: “God of timeless grace, you fill us with joyful expectation. Make us ready for the message that prepares the way, that with uprightness of heart and holy joy we may eagerly await the kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.” (Revised Common Lectionary Prayers)
Do: Help Syrian farmers dig out from war and drought.
Read MoreAn 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.
Look: A Senegalese woman kneels in front of a grave, 2017 (source)
Listen: “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People ” from Advent & Christmas 2015, The Many
Read: Psalm 22, Isaiah 3:8–15, 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12, Luke 20:41—21:4
Pray: "Lord our God, Almighty Father in heaven, we stand before you as your children, whom you want to protect through the need of our time, through all sin and death. We praise you for giving us so much peace in an age full of trouble, and for granting us the assurance of your help. Even when we suffer, we do not want to remain in the darkness of suffering but want to rise up to praise and glorify you. For your kingdom is coming; it is already at hand. Your kingdom comforts and helps us and points the way for the whole world, that your will may be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.” (source)
Do: Find joy in giving a simple gift to a friend or stranger you’d like to bless.
Read MoreAn 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.
Look: JR, Gigantic Picnic at the US-Mexico Border Fence, 2018 (source)
Listen: "Rise Up" from Lamentations, Bifrost Arts Music
Read: Psalm 10 - 11, Isaiah 1:21-31, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Luke 20:9-18
Pray: The Lord’s Prayer
Do: Place a nativity set where you’ll be able to see it daily during Advent. If you own more than one, consider combining them all into a caravan.
Read More“God brings death and God brings life, brings down to the grave and raises up.
God brings poverty and God brings wealth; he lowers, he also lifts up.
He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope,
*
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. Sarah said, ‘God has blessed me with laughter and all who get the news will laugh with me!’
*
Remember what Isaiah wrote: Rejoice, barren woman who bears no children, shout and cry out, woman who has no birth pangs, because the children of the barren woman now surpass the children of the chosen woman.
Isn’t it clear, friends, that you, like Isaac, are children of promise?”
— 1 Samuel 2:6-8a (MSG), Genesis 21:5-6 (MSG) & Galatians 4:27 (MSG)
Read More“Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.
Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.”
— Psalm 21:8-12 (ESV)
Read More“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned...”
— Isaiah 40:1-2 (ESV)
Read More
