Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Dear friends,
We come to the end of this Advent journey, with the fourth theme of “Peace.” I have always thought of this hope for peace as “peace on earth,” peace for the whole world, the absence of war, a big, big dream of peace.
In her blessing/prayer for Advent IV, Kate Bowler suggests that the peace on offer is actually personal, a peace in our hearts that can be a light for others–a light of peace we pass to one another like we do when we light the candles and sing Silent Night on Christmas Eve at church. Peace not on a global scale, but peace given to us one person at a time; the possibility of changing the world by the calming of our own fears, our anxieties, and our busy minds, through the gift of God’s mercy and grace.
The Prince of Peace, born as a tiny child in a manger offers us a peace that surpasses our understanding and our desire for big, impersonal peace as a concept; and He invites us to open our hearts to a peace that comes when we know Him to be our Savior, the one who is Emmanuel, God with us in all things.
May you be blessed by his birth, his peace, his love; one moment at a time.
For the fourth Sunday of Advent – Peace
Blessed are we, the fearful,
though we long to be people of peace.
We can’t lie:
we are afraid.
Afraid there won’t be enough –
—enough resources,
—enough time,
—enough memories.
Blessed are we who ask you for wisdom.
Show us what to turn from,
what to set aside.
Come, Lord, that we might
see you,
move with you,
keep pace with you.
Blessed are we who ask that this Advent
we might dwell together quietly in our homes.
Come, Lord, that we might be for others
the peace they cannot find.
Blessed are we who look to you and say,
God, truly, we are troubled and afraid.
Come govern our hearts and calm our fears.
O Prince of Peace,
still our restless selves,
calm our anxious hearts,
quiet our busy minds.
Advent blessings,
Nancy+
Blessing credit: The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days, by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. Convergent Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House 2023 New York NY