Following the Star
Still yourself, and notice the feeling of your body, the air on your skin, the sounds all around you.
(breathe in)
Patient, loving God –
(breathe out)
help me be present in this very moment today. Amen.
May this time be a gift.
Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth— teach it to me— because you are the God who saves me. I put my hope in you all day long.
Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love— they are forever!
Psalm 25:4-6
When read in its entirety, Psalm 25 is a cry for help and assistance in the face of those who would do harm to the psalmist. It expresses anxiety, distress, and the need for protection from God. This psalm is a plea for guidance, preservation, and strength.
When separated from the rest of the psalm, verses 4-6 simply express a hope to stay close to God and to grow deeper in God’s wisdom. It is a clear request for God to lead along a way of love. This is the voice of a student: someone who has only begun a learning journey but who is anxious to go deeper.
I put my hope in you all day long.
We carry with us a multitude in every moment – a collection of fears, hopes, gratitude, frustration, and more. Yet, sometimes we can zoom in and capture the heart of our many motivations and dreams.
What might it look like for you to put your hope in God at the beginning of this Advent season? How might that shape your actions, your words, today?
Paris Ball
God, today is filled with many things, and it is hard for me to remember to put my trust and hope in you. But I know that you are with me, even in my distractions and worries.
Help me not to worry! Give me the peace of knowing that you are with me, and that your loving care can be a beacon of light on my dark path.
Amen.
As we depart from this time of prayer and reflection
may we be attentive to the moments ahead
May we receive the world with
courage and compassion
May we treat ourselves with
loving kindness
May hope guide us,
for the Lord is coming!