December 4th, 2010 Praying the Advent Season

Saturday, December 4
Candle Lighting: Come, Lord Jesus.

Opening Prayer:
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.
By your merciful protection,
Save us from the threatening dangers of our sins and enlighten our walk in the ways of your salvation.

Saturday, December 4 – Isaiah 40:1-11 and John 1:19-28
Featured lesson today: Isaiah 40: 1-11
Isaiah 40
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Today’s readings from Isaiah tell us to Look Up, Look Ahead, Believe and Have Hope. The voice in the desert of our lives is crying out “Prepare the way of the Lord,” and promises that although “All flesh is grass” and we change and eventually die, the Word of the Lord is eternal. In both the selection from Isaiah and the Gospel from Matthew, we have the image of God as our nurturing, loving Shepherd, protecting and saving us.

Today, as we look behind and ahead and all around ua, We also think that Isaiah and Matthew affirm that God is with us here and now, not only in our past journey in faith, and not only in the promise of Christmastime. Today our Christian faith, Church and Scripture say that the Savior comes, the Lord is born of the Virgin Mary, to suffer and die for us, and to rise from the dead. God is present in our world today, in our hearts today. Here and now, today, God is with us.

We pray to recognize the presence of God today and everyday, to know and praise God, our Companion in our busy activities and our quiet memories and moments in this advent season.

To Jesus Christ our Lord, the light of the world,
let us cry out with joy:
Come Lord Jesus!

Thanks to:The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, ELCA and http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112810.html.


Our Savior Lutheran Church, Gatlinburg, TN

Called as God's People
Equipped by the Holy Spirit
Sent to boldly proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to all people.