With Advent comes a new church year, the beginning of the church calendar.The Lectionary passages for week 2 of Advent, Year A are here. I have used ideas from several of the passages for this Advent litany.
In the season of Advent we remember that waiting is not always comfortable, that anticipation requires us to sit on the edge of our seats, vigilant and ready. Advent is an opportunity to enter into the not-yet, to feel the feelings of longing, waiting for God to act. And we begin to see that waiting quietly has value if we are to hear the “voice calling in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord!”
God of steadfastness and encouragement: grant that we may live in harmony with one another,
In accordance with Christ Jesus.
Grant that we may be filled with all joy and peace in believing,
So that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (1)
To the voice crying out in the wilderness (2)
Give us ears to hear.
To the prophets telling of your coming
Give us ears to hear.
To the whisper of our Loving Creator
Give us ears to hear.
To the silence of anticipation
Give us ears to hear.
May you find in our hearts
Straight paths.
May you find in our minds
A prepared way.
May you find in our spirits and our communities
Fruit worthy of repentance. (3)
May we live in the spirit of Christ:
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord; (4)
Whose presence is near to us,
And whose kingdom is Peace. (5)
Romans 15
Matthew 3:3
Matthew 3:8
Isaiah 11:2
Isaiah 11;6-9