Friday is Sabbath in Arndtville, so in lieu of writing a blog, I’ll post the weekly Advent prayer from the Book of Common Prayer… which, speaking of, if you don’t make use of prayer resources to help you along in your devotional life, you’re totally missing out. I grew up in thinking that the only prayers that were worth praying are spontaneous ones. But spontaneous prayers can be rather flat and one-dimensional can’t they? “Father God, I thank you that Lord Jesus you’re so good and, Father God, we do – Holy Spirit Jesus God – pray that you’d help us Father not be so mean Lord Jesus to each other today…”
A well-written prayer, on the other hand, can illuminate the imagination and elevate the soul like few other things can. So I make extensive use of prayer books in my devotional time. If you want some recommendations, let me know.
Without further ado, this for the first Sunday of Advent (last Sunday) out of the Book of Common Prayer. The words are dense and their style is probably somewhat unfamiliar to most, but I’m willing to bet that if you slow down and savor this prayer like fine wine, you’ll find in it a gateway to presence of God. Enjoy!
Almighty God, give us grace to case away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in th elast day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Yes, grant it Lord Jesus.
