Candle Lighting: Come, Lord Jesus.
Opening Prayer:Stir up our hearts, Lord God
To prepare the way of your only Son
By his coming, nurture our growth
As a people of repentance and peace.
Today’s reading is from Isaiah 24:1-16a
The LORD’s Devastation of the Earth 1 See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth
and devastate it;
he will ruin its face
and scatter its inhabitants—
2 it will be the same
for priest as for people,
for the master as for his servant,
for the mistress as for her servant,
for seller as for buyer,
for borrower as for lender,
for debtor as for creditor.
3 The earth will be completely laid waste
and totally plundered.
The LORD has spoken this word.
4 The earth dries up and withers,
the world languishes and withers,
the heavens languish with the earth.
5 The earth is defiled by its people;
they have disobeyed the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,
and very few are left.
7 The new wine dries up and the vine withers;
all the merrymakers groan.
8 The joyful timbrels are stilled,
the noise of the revelers has stopped,
the joyful harp is silent.
9 No longer do they drink wine with a song;
the beer is bitter to its drinkers.
10 The ruined city lies desolate;
the entrance to every house is barred.
11 In the streets they cry out for wine;
all joy turns to gloom,
all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
12 The city is left in ruins,
its gate is battered to pieces.
13 So will it be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
from the west they acclaim the LORD’s majesty.
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
in the islands of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing:
“Glory to the Righteous One.”
Isaiah starts with a gloomy picture and ends with shouts of Joy!
We look around us today and we see:
The earth choking beneath a thick drape of smog.
The bellies of babies swelling with the ache of hunger.
The sins of the parents are passed on to the children.
Inherited. Bred. Bequeathed.
For a sense of security, we bomb and arm and kill.
For a sense of worth, we nip and tuck and cover.
For a sense of control, we numb and purge and purchase.
Muck and murk, waste and filth.
What sort of God would leave us here? Leave us to our own devices?
Consign us to the consequence of our sin?
God has promised to make all things new. And that begins with house cleaning.
The Lord will twist and scatter until all creation is withered and languished.
‘And then it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with the master; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.’
‘And from the ends of the earth we will hear songs of praise of the glory of the Righteous One.’
Dear God,
Help prepare us for the coming of Christmas and to know your word thru the scriptures that we may become Christians of action…following your teachings, welcoming all into the house of the Lord! Let us sing with a new heart “Oh sing to the Lord, oh sing God a new song!”
Called as God's people;
Equipped by the Holy Spirit;
Sent to boldly proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to all people
Thanks to: The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, ELCA
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