Seasons of Grace. Ann Lewin
of our lives. Prayer is not just what we do in what we call our prayer time. Prayer is how we give our relationship with God a chance to grow and develop and, just like any other relationship, it needs time. We don’t stop being related when we are not with the person concerned. We don’t stop being a wife, husband, child, parent or friend when that person is out of sight, or when we are concentrating on something else. But we become less of a related person if we never give them time.
So, Advent says, make time, create a space so that our understanding of God’s love for us, and our love for God in response can grow. The world is saying, ‘Get on with it – don’t wait for Christmas to hold the celebrations.’ Advent says, ‘Wait, be still, alert and expectant.’
Some people find it helpful to have a focal point for their stillness; perhaps a lit candle. Any candle will do, but there are candles with the days marked on them, so that we don’t have any excuse for not remembering. And using a candle like this reminds us that before there were clocks people used candles to measure time. Christmas is bound up with time as well as eternity. We’re celebrating God becoming involved in our world in Jesus, and God invites us to make time for him.
The shopping days will come to an end – there will come a moment when we really can’t do any more. But the point of the praying days is that we get into the habit of remembering God who comes to us every day, and longs for us to respond with our love and service.
Eucharistic Prayer for Advent
Lord God, you come to us
in the simplicity of a baby,
yet are greater by far than our imagining:
Come to us, Lord.
Lord Christ, you hide your ways from
the proud,
yet reveal your truth to those of a
childlike spirit:
Come to us, Lord.
Lord Spirit, you overthrow the powerful,
yet empower the humble and open of heart:
Come to us, Lord.
Come to us now in your vulnerable strength,
as we remember Jesus,
who brought wholeness and life
through his death and resurrection.
On the night before he died,
he took bread and wine, blessed them
and gave them to his friends, saying,
‘This is my body, this is my blood.
Eat and drink to remember me.’
Come freshly to us, living God;
bring in your kingdom of justice and love:
Your kingdom come.
Heal us, that we may be whole in your service:
Your kingdom come.
Teach us, that we may be surprised into truth:
Your kingdom come.
For you are the God who longs to set us free
to love and serve you wholeheartedly:
Your kingdom come in us, Lord,
and transform the world
to your praise and glory. Amen.
Have you got room?
‘Posada’ is the Spanish word for ‘Inn’, and it gives its name to an activity which has become quite popular during Advent, as a way of engaging people in preparing for Christmas. It originated in a Mexican custom when children dressed as Mary and Joseph would go from house to house during Advent, asking people if they had any room, prompting them to think about the Christmas story. The Church Army adapted the idea in the UK, initially as a way of raising funds, and suggested that instead of children, crib figures should be sent round from house to house, spending a night wherever people were willing to give them hospitality. Their presence could be an opportunity for gathering friends and neighbours together to spend some time reflecting on their preparations for celebrating the birth of Christ. The idea has caught on, and been developed in many different ways, involving schools and local shops as well as church members. Sometimes only Mary and Joseph make the journey with a donkey, sometimes all the crib figures go their separate ways, joining together on Christmas Eve to form the crib in a church or other meeting place. Many people find it convenient to use knitted figures, and if lots of people are involved, several sets of figures can be employed. People might also be encouraged to make their own figures as part of the process.
Here are some prayers which could be used as the figures arrive at each resting place:
Welcoming the figures
Heavenly Father,
as we welcome Mary and Joseph
to be with us for a while,
we pray that we will know your presence with us
in all our preparations to celebrate
the birth of your Son,
and that the sense of your presence
will grow in us in all the days to come, Amen.
For travellers
God of the journey,
as we remember Joseph and Mary
on their way to Bethlehem,
we pray for all who travel
by road and rail,
in the air or on the sea.
Protect them from danger,
and bring them safely
to their journey’s end. Amen.
For all expecting a child
Father, Mother God,
we ask your blessing on all
who are preparing to be parents.
May the birth be accomplished safely,
and new life nurtured with wisdom and love,
for his sake who became a child for us. Amen.
For children
Heavenly Father,
we thank you for children,
for their joy, their trust and their simplicity.
Be with them, we pray, as they grow.
May they always know that they are loved
by you, and by those to whom
you have entrusted their care. Amen.
For homeless people
Loving God,
we pray for all who are
homeless as your Son was:
for refugees and asylum seekers;
for all who have been driven
from their homes and their lands
by cruel leaders;
for all in our own country who sleep rough,
and all for whom no one cares.
Touch them with your love, dear Lord,
and help us to do what we can
to show your love to them,
not just at Christmas
but throughout the year. Amen.
For people who find Christmas difficult
Generous God,