<h5 style="color: #330000; text-align: center;">Veni, Veni, Emmanuel</h5>

DAILY MEDITATION AND PRAYER FOR THE WEEK PRECEDING CHRISTMAS Saturday, December 18 - Friday, December 24 Opening Song For Each Day O Day Of God, Draw Nigh [Click Here For Music] O day of God, draw nigh in beauty and in power; come with thy timeless judgment now to match our present hour. Bring to our troubled minds, uncertain and afraid, the quiet of a steadfast faith, calm of a call obeyed. Bring justice to our land, that all may dwell secure, and finely build for days to come foundations that endure. Bring to our world of strife thy sovereign word of peace, that war may haunt the earth no more, and desolation cease. O day of God, draw nigh as at creation's birth; let there be light again, and set thy judgments on the earth. Prayer For This Last Week Of Advent "The Magnificat" (Canticle of Mary) My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever. Amen. O Highest Wisdom, Come Saturday, December 18 Call to Prayer Amos 5:8  Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name. O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show and teach us in its ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 11:2-3a  The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. Eternal God, your Word of wisdom goes forth and does not return empty: Grant us such knowledge and love of you that we may perceive your presence in all creation and every creature; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, now and for ever. Amen. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  Gospel Reading: John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came 68 Advent Ethics into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High and reach from beginning to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things. Behold and bless your church. Be present in ordering the life of this and every congregation. Come and teach us the way of prudence. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.   O God, fill our hearts with your love and our minds with your wisdom so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O WISDOM, your words spoken in the beginning of creation generated a world of beauty and goodness: Come and instruct us in the way of prudence, that we may care for your world with justice and compassion;  through the one whom we know as the Wisdom of the Ages, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. O God of Israel, Come Sunday, December 19 Call to Prayer Psalm 119:55  I remember your name in the night, O God, and keep your law. O come, O come, great God of might, who to your tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 11:3b-5  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. Our God, you gave your law that righteousness might abound: Put it into our hearts to love justice for others as much as we desire it for ourselves, that, as we know you to be our judge, so we may welcome your reign as it is manifested through Jesus Christ our Redeemer; to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:24-29  “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. O Adonai, God of the Covenant, ruler of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave your law. Forgive us when we stray from your guidance and will. Come and redeem us for our life together. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  O God, fill our hearts with zeal and our minds with saving knowledge of your way so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O ADONAI, ruler of the house of Israel, you rescued remnants of your people from slavery and exile: Come and with great might deliver us from all that binds us to sin and alienates us from you, through the one whom we know as Mighty Savior of all, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.  O Root of Jesse, Come Monday, December 20 Call to Prayer  Psalm 54:2  Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem, unto your own and rescue them! From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 11:1, 10  A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. Almighty God, you brought forth a royal branch from the ancient stock of Jesse’s line: Grant that we who have been grafted into this heritage may bear fruit worthy of Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  Gospel Reading: Luke 1:26-33  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  O Root of Jesse, you stand as an ensign to humankind; before you rulers will shut their mouths, and nations bow in worship: We pray for your peace and justice in every nation and throughout the world; be present to all whose lives are ravaged by war and strife; especially we hold before you those from among us who serve our country abroad. Guide the leaders of this and every land into the paths of peace and goodwill. Come save us and do not delay. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.   O God, fill our hearts with love for all nations and our minds with understanding to serve them so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O ROOT OF JESSE, you reach deep into our hearts, drawing forth our longing for justice: Come and plant within us a passion for your Kin-Dom; through the One whom we know as the Root of all righteousness, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. O Key of David, Come Tuesday, December 21 Call to Prayer Psalm 42:8 By day God commands steadfast love, and at night God's song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home. Make safe for us the heavenward road and bar the way to death's abode. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7  For a Child has been born for us, a Child given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the God of hosts will do this. Gracious God, your Son Jesus Christ opened wide the gate of heaven, making plain the way that leads to eternal joy: Grant that we who have been buried with Christ in baptism and raised to new life may strive courageously for the freedom and peace of the world; through the same your Son, Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated. Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-19  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no one can shut, you shut and no one can open: Guide us in opening the doors of opportunity for the unemployed, for the homeless, for prisoners, and for all who are oppressed; and lead us in closing the doors that lead to poverty, bigotry, and injustice. Come and bring the captives out of the prison house. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.   O God, fill our hearts with love for one another and our minds with wise counsel so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O KEY OF DAVID, you open and no one closes; you close and no one opens: Come and liberate us from captivity to our past, that we may face your future's promise with boldness and purpose; through the One whom we know as the Son of David, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. O Glorious Dayspring, Come Wednesday, December 22 Call to Prayer Psalm 139:11-12  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar! Dispel the shadows of the night and turn our darkness into light. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 9:1-2  But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. O Jesus Christ, in your resurrection you appeared as the Morning Star that knows no setting: Dawn upon the darkness of the human heart so that the deathly orders of this world may be overcome and your whole creation renewed; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  The Benedictus/Song of Zechariah: Luke 1:68-79  Blessed be the God of Israel, for he God looked favorably on the people and redeemed them. God has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, as God spoke through the mouth of the holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus God has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Sarah and Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before God all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before God to prepare the ways, to give knowledge of salvation to the people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. O Dayspring, radiance of the Light Eternal and Sun of Righteousness: Shine your light on those who have died and bring comfort to all those who mourn. Come and enlighten all who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.   O God, fill our hearts with mercy and our minds with discernment so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O RISING DAWN, you chase away the shadows of the night:  Come and enlighten our darkness with visions of reconciliation, that we who are alienated one from another may seek fullness of life together; through the One whom we know as the Light of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Sovereign of Nations, Come Thursday, December 23 Call to Prayer Psalm 65:1-2  Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed, O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.  O come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be yourself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 9:1-2  But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. O Jesus Christ, in wisdom you order all things peaceably, and where you are sovereign justice prevails; so form our minds and rule our hearts that we may freely show your care in perfect service toward the common good; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:33-42  “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’”? O Sovereign of the Nations and their Desire, you are the cornerstone that makes us one: We lift up all who are suffering and in need. Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous and help us minister to them in your love. Come and save us whom you have fashioned out of clay. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? Church Publishing Incorporated.  O God, fill our hearts with hope and our minds with welcome for your restoring grace so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O SOVEREIGN OF THE NATIONS, you defend the cause of the poor and raise up the oppressed of the earth: Come and build us into a world community where all are valued and the vulnerable protected, through the One whom we know as the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. O God Among Us, Come Friday, December 24 Call to Prayer  Psalm 141:2  Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 9:1-2  But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. O Emmanuel, God with us, Expected One and Saviour, we give thanks for all the blessings of this life; for all those who today celebrate life; and for all the other blessings that fill our days. We thank you for the witness of all your holy ones, along with the great cloud of witnesses who forever sing your praise. Make us all and everyone ready to receive you into our hearts, to serve you in all whom we meet, and to greet you in the fullness of your glory in the day of your appearing. Come and save us, O Lord our God. —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? (Kindle Locations 1845-1848). Church Publishing Incorporated. Kindle Edition. Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:20b-23  An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” Eternal God, you do not abandon us in exile but hear our plea for returning and rest: Visit us we pray with your presence and raise us to greet with hope and joy the promised day of salvation; through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns now and for ever. Amen.7 —Petersen, William H.. What Are We Waiting For? (Kindle Locations 1845-1848). Church Publishing Incorporated. Kindle Edition.  O God, fill our hearts with joy and our minds with perception of your presence so that our actions will be pleasing to you. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit. Amen. O EMMANUEL, God with us, you dwell beyond our farthest reach, yet are nearer to us than we are to ourselves: Come among us in these days of expectation, that we may give birth to what is true, just, beautiful, and good; for you are the One whom we know as Rdeemer, and with the Creator and the Holy Spirit, you abide with us, one God, now and forever. Amen.