Psalm 130: 1-8
Many years ago, I had a friend whose brother faithfully attended church exactly twice a year: on Christmas Eve and Easter. When she encouraged him to come more often, he declined her invitation with this reasoning: “Oh, every time I go to church, I hear the same old songs and stories.” Well… yes. Of course.
There is much that is so familiar during Advent. We will hear many of the “same old songs and stories.” I, for one, love them. I find joy, comfort and meaning in both the sacred and secular traditions and routines of this season. But, am I waiting in anticipation for something new? Maybe not so much.
The psalmist here is crying out to God on behalf of all of Israel. He looked around him and saw much sin, brokenness, destruction and hurt. Yet he speaks of waiting with hope for God’s steadfast mercy and forgiveness. He speaks of his assurance that God will ultimately deliver Israel and forgive her sin. God will restore them to wholeness. In the meantime, he calls on his people to watch and wait expectantly with hope.
For what are we waiting this season? With the psalmist, we can look around us and despair. There is so much division, hatred, greed, selfishness, and pain. Yet, in the midst of this brokenness, Advent offers us the time to wait expectantly for God’s great love and mercy shown in the birth of a baby 2000 years ago. God loved us so much that he came to earth to be among us. Does the familiarity of the story dull the message for us? Do we still hear the message of hope for this world in the story of shepherds and angels and a sweet baby lying in a manger? Do we still wait with hope for God’s ultimate deliverance and redemption?
I will enjoy all the usual hymns, songs, scriptures and stories this year. I hope that you will, too. But I pray that, amidst it all, we find time to listen anew for the message of hope and love in the familiar. Perhaps this year we may, with the Spirit’s guidance, hear God speaking to us with the assurance and hope that all is not lost. We must not give in to despair. We must wait patiently for His mercy. And maybe, in our waiting, we will even hear Him speak to us of the part we can play in bringing this hope to the world.
God loves us. God came to live among us. That is a message that will never get old. God will have the ultimate victory. That is a promise that is worth waiting for. I pray that this season, we may all wait together expectantly for God’s incarnate Word to us.
Prayer: Holy God, please be with us during this time of waiting. Help us to take the time to look for new meaning in the familiar stories and to listen for your whisper of assurance. Help us to live in expectant hope so that we might be vessels of hope and love to a hurting world. Thank you for the glorious gift of your son, Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Mary Sue Beam
There is much that is so familiar during Advent. We will hear many of the “same old songs and stories.” I, for one, love them. I find joy, comfort and meaning in both the sacred and secular traditions and routines of this season. But, am I waiting in anticipation for something new? Maybe not so much.
The psalmist here is crying out to God on behalf of all of Israel. He looked around him and saw much sin, brokenness, destruction and hurt. Yet he speaks of waiting with hope for God’s steadfast mercy and forgiveness. He speaks of his assurance that God will ultimately deliver Israel and forgive her sin. God will restore them to wholeness. In the meantime, he calls on his people to watch and wait expectantly with hope.
For what are we waiting this season? With the psalmist, we can look around us and despair. There is so much division, hatred, greed, selfishness, and pain. Yet, in the midst of this brokenness, Advent offers us the time to wait expectantly for God’s great love and mercy shown in the birth of a baby 2000 years ago. God loved us so much that he came to earth to be among us. Does the familiarity of the story dull the message for us? Do we still hear the message of hope for this world in the story of shepherds and angels and a sweet baby lying in a manger? Do we still wait with hope for God’s ultimate deliverance and redemption?
I will enjoy all the usual hymns, songs, scriptures and stories this year. I hope that you will, too. But I pray that, amidst it all, we find time to listen anew for the message of hope and love in the familiar. Perhaps this year we may, with the Spirit’s guidance, hear God speaking to us with the assurance and hope that all is not lost. We must not give in to despair. We must wait patiently for His mercy. And maybe, in our waiting, we will even hear Him speak to us of the part we can play in bringing this hope to the world.
God loves us. God came to live among us. That is a message that will never get old. God will have the ultimate victory. That is a promise that is worth waiting for. I pray that this season, we may all wait together expectantly for God’s incarnate Word to us.
Prayer: Holy God, please be with us during this time of waiting. Help us to take the time to look for new meaning in the familiar stories and to listen for your whisper of assurance. Help us to live in expectant hope so that we might be vessels of hope and love to a hurting world. Thank you for the glorious gift of your son, Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Mary Sue Beam
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