Focus

Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.

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Read

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 (NRSV)

Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
…

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.

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Reflect

The crowds will gather from all over, to greet and crown their leader, the one who has been granted the place of power. This leader will stand up and deliver her or his message, proclaiming a new era of hope and prosperity for all of the people. With this leader, things will be different. There will be justice on the streets. There will be jobs and economic prosperity in this place again. We’ll have access to resources. There will be protection from violence and our enemies.

As the cheer goes up, there is a renewed energy in the people’s hearts, a collective belief of new possibilities and dreams fulfilled. But the days, weeks, and months will pass. The fervor will fade and die. Reality will once again become clear, particularly for those who are most vulnerable. The poor are still poor. The hungry still hunger. The oppressors still oppress.

Reading this psalm in the season of Advent, I find myself again longing for this kind of world, one in which these grand dreams and promises come true. I long for our world to be watered with rain that quenches our thirst for peace and prosperity. I long for a world drenched in the actions of Jesus, dripping with love, mercy, and compassion that begins at the bottom rather than the top.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Come, Jesus, come.

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Pray

God who is the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all creation, we long for a world in which all your people can prosper in peace. Today we remember all who suffer poverty, injustice and abuse. Let your kingdom come, and your will be done, and may you give us this day all that we need, so that it may begin with us. Amen.

Go with God.