Our Advent journey will begin Sunday, December 3rd where we will light our first Advent candle. During this season we invite you to journey with us through the Psalter (Psalms) lectionary text for the Advent Season.
The Psalms are a historic Jewish prayer book that is comprised of 150 chapters and divided into 5 books. The prayers found in the Psalms encompass a myriad of seasons of life. Seasons of despair, doubt, sadness, and grief while also seasons of hope, joy, and assurance.
What might it means to reclaim these ancient scriptures in a fresh and new way during this Advent season?
The Practice:
Begin your spiritual practice each day with a breathing excersize like 4-7-8. Emptying the lungs of air, breathing in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds, holding the breath for a count of 7 seconds, exhaling forcefully through the mouth for 8 seconds.
Read the Psalm for the week. Is there a line, phrase or word that is sticking out to you?
Rewrite this prayer in a way that is authentic to you that captures the words or phrases.
Journal a few words about why you wrote the prayer the way you did.
End with praying the Psalm in the version you wrote.
We want to invite you and you will journey daily with the Advent Psalm lectionary readings.
Here they are:
Advent Week 1 (December 3):
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Advent Week 2 (December 10):
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin.
Selah
Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
Advent Week 3 (December 17):
Psalm 126
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Advent Week 4 (December 24):
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: 'I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.'"
Selah
Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: "I have set the crown on one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him; my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him; and in my name his horn shall be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!'