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Read: Psalm 25:1-10
In this season of hope
which runs so quickly to fatigue
and in this season of yearning
which becomes so easily quarrelsome,
Give us the grace and the impatience
to wait for your coming to the bottom of our toes,
to the edges of our fingertips.
-Walter Brueggeman
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long. - Psalm 25:5
Our everyday lives, even our prayers, are often shaped by the immediate. We rush from one task to the next, one season to the next. We find it a challenge to keep sacred time – to slow down and wait, to be present in each moment, to allow the Spirit to teach and lead us - when we have a never-ending to-do list.
Today, I invite you to take a step back from the need to do more. Breathe in the love of God and find meaning in waiting. Center your hearts in this prayer of hope.
As we begin the season of Advent, we overhear a prayer that affirms the psalmist’s relationship with God: “To you, O Lord, I lift my soul. O my God, in you I trust.” The Hebrew word for soul is nephesh, which embodies the whole self – body, mind, and spirit. Advent is about trusting the promises of God with our whole selves, now, in the present - God is with us. And yet we also await the promises of God’s arrival to usher in the beloved community - God is coming.
This waiting described in the psalm is more than the impatience we feel standing in a checkout line or wondering when the host will let you in the Zoom meeting. Instead, this waiting is to wait with hope, the sort of waiting one does for a special day to arrive, like a wedding day or moving into a new home. It involves preparation and anticipation of a coming day of joy and connection.
I have been thinking about the things that are often missed during the rush to Christmas – peace, quality time with loved ones, simplicity, and gratitude. The joy of the season often is replaced with anxiety and exhaustion. We need to step back from the rush, to find quiet and rest, to restore the unforced rhythms of grace.
Maybe this year, we can turn away from that which drains the life out of us and turn toward the things of God – bringing our whole selves to God, listening each day for the Spirit of God to speak and guide us, and trusting that what matters is to be present in the moment with the ones we hold dear.
As we wait with hope, we are welcomed into Advent by God’s promises: God is merciful and faithful. God is worthy of our trust. God is the hope of our salvation. And we are loved and forgiven.
And so, we wait. May we look forward with anticipation and hope, asking for God to reveal to us the paths that lead to peace, joy, and love, and for the fullness of God’s promises to be kept.
Prayer:
God of hope, I bring my whole self to you and in you, I place my trust. Slow me down from the busyness that causes me to rush through life failing to be present with you. Fill me with wonder, as I wait, as I marvel at your willingness to become one of us and live among us. Teach me your ways that I may walk in your steadfast love and faithfulness, reflecting your hope for all the world. Amen.
~Tommy Bratton
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