In this
season of Advent...
We stand before you during this time of longing.
We stand before you during this time of waiting.
We stand before you during this time of anticipation.
We stand before you as a broken people.
We stand before you as sinners.
Sin makes us uneasy and uncomfortable and unsure, but
sin cannot be downplayed or ignored.
We live in a world where sin is very real.
It distorts our vision, our relationships with one another, and
our relationship with you, God of mercy.
Sin robs us of having an authentic life.
Sin robs our neighbor of having an authentic life.
We have seen this loss of authentic life in so many ways.
We name sin... personal and communal... silently or out
loud, with words and images.
(A time for
reflection)
This sin, this loss of authentic life with you, makes the waiting
of the Advent season much more
real.
We cry out to you, God of mercy, when we live and see the
brokenness and sinful nature of the
world around us.
We cry out, “How long, O Lord?”
How long?
God of
mercy, you hear our cry.
You come with words of power and words of prophecy.
You proclaim to us a New Heaven and a New Earth.
In this New Heaven and New Earth, you bring the ultimate
healing, the ultimate restoration, and
the ultimate renewal for us and for our neighbor.
While we wait, break your future of a New Heaven and a New
Earth into our present.
You forgive us our sins today.
You give us newness of life today.
Show us the coming reality of that New Heaven and New Earth.
With that coming reality, we confess words and images,
silently or out loud, professing our hope
for the world through Christ today.
(A time for
reflection)
In that forgiveness and hope in the promise of a full
restoration of your creation, may
we be the hands and feet of your son, Jesus Christ, that
we work together to bring the Spirit of Shalom, and
the Spirit of your justice, to
show the collision of the future of your New Heaven and a New Earth with today.
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