Advent Reflection

Yesterday, our church celebrated the first Sunday of Advent with reflections on what we're longing for in the world for Christ to come and make right. I wrote a prayer to share.

Here it is:

Lord Christ, on the night you were betrayed, you prayed for those who would believe in You, for the Church, to be one in unity as you are one with the Father and the Spirit. We wait for you to bring your peace and love into our world again through our lives and in the realization of your kingdom on earth. Jesus, we wait for you to make us One.

We have failed most miserably as your Church in loving one another radically. We have chosen to hold onto pride, comfort, and success instead of humbling ourselves to serve those who have offended us, doing things differently than we would have. Instead of dealing with hurts, wrongs done, and differences, we have erected walls of denominations, branches, fellowships, and organizations where we can do things the way we want to. Forgive us, Lord, and teach us, Holy Spirit, to be faithful servants who keep awake and do your work until you come again, though Christ’s return will be on a day when we do not expect and at an hour that we do not know. Jesus, we wait for you to make us One. (Matt 24:45-50, Mark 13:32-33)

You revealed beautiful humility as you submitted to the will of God the Father throughout your life on earth. And yet we choose over and over again to hold onto our rights, to allow resentment to build, to use the law against one another. God, help us instead to choose to rather be wronged! You suffered on behalf of the world which you so loved. We cause suffering to brothers and sisters who are Christ-followers but who eat unclean food, who are weaker – or stronger – than we. Forgive us, Lord, and grant us, Holy Spirit, love that builds up our brothers and sisters. Jesus, we wait for you to make us One. (Phil 4, 1 Cor 6:7, John 3:16-17, 1 Cor 8:1, 11-12)

Your bride, the Church, Gomer, who turns away, distracted by the money, the prestige, the good life (good family?), the dreams we hold onto when You are dreaming for us radical self-forgetting, obedience, quickness to listen. Henri Nouwen wrote “Hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart.” Jesus, we wait for you to make us One. (Hosea)

God, as we are in Christ, side-by-side with all others who have believed His message, may we fix our eyes so attentively and adoringly on Jesus that we are not distracted by the brother or sister who stomps on our toes. God, we long for the day when we can celebrate every success of those around us without judgment, when we choose to fellowship with the weak, living with the compassion that Christ modeled. Jesus, we hold onto you together, as we wait through this long night for your coming as our groom and the wedding feast of the Lamb. Jesus, we wait for you to make us One. (Heb 12:1-3)