Tag Archives: Advent prayers

Advent Candle Lighting Prayer for Joy

16 Sunday Dec 2018

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In the midst of our exiles, Spirit of Anticipation, your light is eclipsed by cynicism and despair. The wilderness continues beyond our expectations, and the probability of hope lasting in our souls seems unlikely.

The peace to which we seek is covered by the fog of hopelessness.

And yet, occasionally, even in the nighttime of our spiritual deserts, a small light can be seen in the distance.

Even when hope is small and the light is dim, we celebrate the moments that we detect possibilities ahead.

We light the candle of joy to optimistically announce the glow in life’s murkiness and the mirth that grows as we grow closer to the birth of the Christ.

Amen.

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Advent Prayers – A Prayer on Premature Nights

13 Thursday Dec 2018

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God who thrives in the shadows-
The frigid winds drive us back into our winter abodes
Nearly isolating us from our neighbors
And capturing our uplifted spirits until Spring.

As night arrives earlier than yesterday’s appearance,
We ask that this season refuses to keep us from spiritual seclusion
As we fight against our natural tendency to hibernate.

May this season of long nights
Be ones filled with warm memories,
Inviting conversations,
Cozy dwellings,
And rooms of mirth.

When the shadows grow long
And hope escapes,
May our spirits find breath to endure until tomorrow.

Amen.

Advent Prayers – A Prayer for Focus

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

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Spirit of Strength who abides with us in the sparkles and shadows-
In the midst of this glitzy season
Filled with every distraction known to people,
Give us the focus to finish what we’ve started.

May Advent draw our attention to the sweetness of the journey-
Not the saccharine superficial sentiments of cultural expectation.

May Advent enliven our spirits and energize our tired minds.

May Advent drive us away from disturbances
And give us the gall to reach into the caverns of injustice
to aid in the delivery of God’s holy righteousness.

Amen.

Advent Candle Lighting Prayer for Peace

07 Thursday Dec 2017

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One: Uneasiness stems from the unrest in our world.  News echoes from our TVs and phones alerting us of turmoil around the globe. From what happens in our communities, schools, and world, it’s often tough to find harmony.

Words between neighbors reflect a dismal connection with fellow children of God.  Bullies in schools, workplaces, and other institutions cloud our once happy souls.

Yet even as we stand in the midst of commotion and even when anxiety stirs within our hearts, God is with us. The buzzing of hatred will not be the final noises we hear as God’s song of serenity will rise above the clamor.

Today we light the candle of peace to remember that harmony will abide.  The turmoil of the outside world and the unrest in our souls will convert to peace that goes beyond all understanding.  The light of peace and hope will transform our world to holy tranquility.

And you will be with us in the peaks and valleys of our journeys, God of Placidness.

Amen.

A Prayer to Stop Second-Guessing

04 Monday Dec 2017

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God who created us with minds, hearts and souls:

Our brain hiccups again and again when remembering a decision we’ve made or thing we’ve said. And the lingering memory of our permanent etchings on the past will not let our minds rest.

And we cannot have a do-over for moments gone by. We cannot recall an opinion given or remove our deeds from the history of the world.

What we said may have been just fine. Our work may have been stellar. Our decisions may have been the best possible choice. But that sinister whisper that comes from a spot of self-doubt continues to spin within us.

Remove that toxic questioning from our beings. Help us to embrace our humanity and remember that even those of us with healthy intentions get caught up in the tangled vines of this earth. Give us the confidence that all that has been said is for the good of the world and, if it wasn’t, that your grace and mercy will smooth over the great mistakes of our mouths and minds.

Amen.

 

Advent Candle Lighting Prayer for Hope

02 Saturday Dec 2017

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One: All around us are signs of endings, of limitations, and even of death.
Grief and sadness grasp our souls like never before
And many of us stumble around wondering “What’s next?”

…If there will be a next.

Our path is void of light
Yet while we abide in the shadows
God is with us.
And as we gaze towards the pre-dawn sky-
Towards the birth of a newborn baby, the promised land, and a return from exile-
We see the initial flicker of hope.

Today we light the first advent candle to remember that light will appear in our shadows.  This light will illuminate our way through the wilderness, and we will find renewal on our journeys.  Hope is no longer an illusion but a faint glow of what waits for us.

Amen.

Advent Prayer 12 – Lament of the Busy

15 Monday Dec 2014

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8328024253_6b187a2c31_zGod I’m swimming in Christmas prep!
The cards aren’t ready to send-
Half are addressed
And maybe a few names are scribbled within the cards.
Shopping.  Wow.  I’m not even close to be finished.
A few more gifts to buy for the family
And for my love.
Don’t forget about the lunch next week
And dinner Wednesday night
And a couple of other holiday parties.
I signed up to volunteer this Thursday…
And Saturday…
And next Monday.

Wait… the tree.
The tree isn’t even up
Let alone the lights
And the ornaments
And the rest of the household Christmas decorations.

Then there’s the wrapping
And the cookies
And the caroling
Besides the everyday work
Around the house and the office.

Stop.  Breathe.

Ok.  In my preparation
I’m forgetting to prepare myself
To open my heart in new ways
And to be silent and still.

Instead, I keep moving-
Falling into the busy trap-
Being less intentional,
Less relational
And more cynical.

Open me, God
To the freshness of the day
To the love in front of me
And the presentness of this moment.  Amen.

Advent Prayer 11 – A Blessing for the Sunday Morning Brunchers

14 Sunday Dec 2014

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imageMay the God of creation surround you with fellowship this hour,
May the Christ of merriment bring laughter to your day,
May the Spirit of sustenance refresh you for the week.

May you see the Divine-
however you see Her or Him-
surrounding you in the lines to order,
the banquet or buffet,
the smiles across tables,
the serious reflections,
and discussions for justice.

May you grow in mind and spirit
As you ponder life’s major issues –
In the chaos of heated discussions
And the laments of everyday life.

Whether stillness or noise awakens you this morning,
Whether you find the Holy in the ordinary or in the sanctuary,
Be well.

Advent Prayer Day 10 – A ‘Love Actually’ Prayers of the People

11 Thursday Dec 2014

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For the one who is cheated on by a long-time love
And flees to the country to write away his pain,
We pray to you, O God.

For the one who feels betrayed by a spouse
Wondering if the affair is flirtations, intimacy or love,
We pray to you, O God.

For the one who loses the chance for love
Because taking care of family is a top priority,
We pray to you, O God.

For the one who can’t show his affections
And for the one who he pines for,
We pray to you, O God.

For the one who longs for his best friend’s girl
And yet wants to move forward with his life,
As he laments “Enough… Enough…”
We pray to you, O God.

For the one who remembers his spouse
So soon after he lost her,
And as he takes care of her child,
We pray to you, O God.

For the one who finds contentment
In the time spent with his greatest love:
His best friend,
We give thanks to you, O God.

For the sparkly new relationship
After meeting in a hallway
Or in front of a cottage
Or rushing to say goodbye in an airport
Or working together closely
Or flying to a new country,
We give thanks to you, O God.

For the first wave
The first smile
The first embrace
At the airport arrivals gate,
We give thanks to you, O God.

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Advent Prayer Day 9 – For the Reproductive Losses

09 Tuesday Dec 2014

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God, I don’t know what to say
To the couple who can’t have a baby
Even though they’ve been trying for four years.
I don’t know how to comfort the friend
Who had one, or three, or five miscarriages.
I don’t know how to support my loved ones
Whose adoption fell through.

How to I approach the friend
Who gave birth to a stillborn child,
Who felt the child move kick?
What words will bring her a sense of comfort
And give strength to her partner?

These losses mount up, God.
They are losses I’ve never experienced
But the pain radiates from their eyes
And I have a sense that they’ll be in pain
Even though they laugh.
Even when they seem fine.
Even after they’ve stopped talking about it.

Telling them that their child is “better off”
Or “there’s a reason”
Or “God needed another angel”
Will absolutely tear their souls.

There are no words that will cover their pain
But by just being there-
Even in silence and words unspoken-
May bring the daybreak of peace.

Help us be your presence to women and men
Facing the empty wombs of life.

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