Prayer for the Second Sunday of Advent

O Come, God of Peace-
Open our hearts to seek your peace
in the midst of conflict.
Open our ears
to hear and understand
those different from us,
to strive for the peace you envision for our divided, conflicted, war-torn world.
Give us the courage
to think and dream beyond
our comfort zones,
the desire to spend time
with you in the quiet,
that we may truly hear your call.
Grant us the wisdom, courage and strength
to go where you lead us,
building your realm of peace and justice.
In the name of Jesus, our Peace,
Amen.

Antiphon

     O Voice in the Wilderness, Come

Scripture

     Matthew 3:3 . . . the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make the paths of the                          Lord straight.

Prayerful Reflection

O Voice in the Wilderness, Come~
Call us out of our relentless, rugged routines,
our hectic, demanding schedules,
our bustling, crowded surroundings.
Call us to come into a place
void of distractions and noise.
Bring us to a simple place of
peaceful solitude.
Thus quieted, fill us with the imagination
to dream of peace and justice,
in our own lives, and in the world.
Give us the courage to walk that path
straight to your heart of love.
Amen.

Scripture

     Romans 15:7 Welcome one another,therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Prayerful Reflection

O Welcoming Host, Come~
Widen the doors of our hearts
to receive strangers in peace,
be they person, idea, or belief.
May we invite in that which
brings us discomfort,
or jars us from our certitude.
Open our eyes and minds,
open our homes, churches and communities
to recognize your presence in all.
Enable us to embrace the holiness
at the core of each person,
which is deeper than the differences,
as we seek to be peace-filled, welcoming hosts.
Amen.

Thursday, December 5

Antiphon

     O Refreshing Rain, Come

Scripture

     Psalm 72:6 May the ruler be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!

Prayerful Reflection

O Refreshing Rain, Come~
Our souls thirst for your refreshment,
our hearts long for your
comforting presence,
our eyes crave the sight of your creation alive with the colors of spring.
Like the rain that refreshes the earth,
soak your grace into the ground of our being.
Shower us with your care,
quench us with your hope,
permeate us with your grace.
May we, thus refreshed and renewed,
saturate the world with your peace.
Amen.

Wednesday, December 4

Antiphon

     O Abounding Peace, Come

Scripture

     Psalm 72:7 In those days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

Prayerful Reflection

O Abounding Peace, Come~
Co-create with us the world you long for.
Fill us with your vision,
your hope, your longing for our world.
Align us with your desires
that we may be compelled to make them
the desires of our own hearts as well.
Grant us your wisdom, guidance,
and strength as we walk that challenge of
not merely seeking the absence of conflict,
but working for justice
that does away with oppression,
which is the path to your abounding peace.
Amen.

Tuesday, December 3

Antiphon

     O Little Child, Come

Scripture

     Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the                        lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Prayerful Reflection

O Little Child, Come~
Remind us that it is with a child-like spirit
we are welcomed by Jesus,
that with child-like hearts
we will know your peaceable kingdom.
Fill us with a spirit of innocence,
a belief in the possibility of the impossible,
an openness to the acceptance of differences,
and a vulnerability to trust in the midst of doubt.
Open our hearts to strive
for resolution to conflict
as we seek to live as your peaceful children
this day and always.
Amen.

Antiphon

     O Spirit of Understanding, Come

Scripture

     Isaiah 11:2 And the Spirit of God shall rest upon this branch, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might . . .

Prayerful Reflection

O Spirit of Understanding, Come~
Take hold of our hearts
when we simply cannot understand
the thoughts, the actions,
the motivations of another.
Remind us of the wonderful uniqueness
of each and every person.
Give us your spirit of understanding
to be patient, to listen deeply,
to hear beyond the spoken words
into the hurts and longings
that hide beneath them.
Remind us to pause, to reflect, to be patient,
and to come to a peaceful understanding,
and an acceptance of one another.
Amen.

Monday, December 16

Antiphon

     O Grace Giver, Come

Scripture

     Romans 1:7a  To all God’s beloved in Rome who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God . . .

Prayerful Reflection

O Grace Giver, Come~
Fill us with your spirit,
your passion, your love
for your people
as you have filled your saints
throughout the ages.
Through your grace,
open us to generous service,
to abundant sharing, to selfless caring
that we may imitate your Child.
As Jesus came to minister
to those around him,
so lead us to imitate him,
that he may once again
be born into our world
through our service to others.
Amen.

Sunday, December 1

Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent

O Come, God of our Hope~
Open our eyes to see you
in the midst of hopelessness.
We invite your word into our hearts
that it may awaken us and alert us
to your presence in our lives,
to your hope for our world.
Call us out of our apathy
as we seek to live as people
who unite, rather than divide,
who build up, rather than destroy,
who spread light,
rather than bring darkness.
Make your vision and hope
for this world be our own,
and grant us the wisdom, courage
and strength to create with you
that world.
In the name of Jesus, our Hope,
Amen.

Saturday, November 30

Antiphon

     O Unexpected Caller, Come

Scripture

     Matthew 24:39 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor God’s Child, but                        God only.

Prayerful Reflection

O Unexpected Caller, Come~
Open us to recognize you
in the surprising ways you appear to us.
Open our eyes to see your face
in the midst of those in despair.
Open our ears to hear your voice
in the chorus of those who cry.
Open our hearts to know your presence
in the yearnings of those
who are on the margins.
Open us to be aware of your presence
in unexpected people and places,
that we may understand and respond
to the ways you call us
to bring hope to the hopeless.
Amen.