God speaks this week through these scriptures:

Isaiah 64:1-9 – Prayer that God would come with power and compassion
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 – Let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 – Gifts of grace sustain those who wait for the end
Mark 13:24-37 – The sudden coming of the Son of Man

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.

Isaiah’s lament comes from a people who have had their hopes shattered and calls God to account—to be the God who has brought deliverance in the past.

Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth how the Lord has already enriched them through spiritual gifts and will continue to strengthen them until the coming day of the Lord.

Jesus encourages his followers to look forward to the day when he returns in power and glory to end all suffering.

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.

Keep awake!
Keep alert!
Be prepared.

Christ is “advancing” towards us. In the past, God came to us in the life of Jesus. In the present, God comes especially in word and sacrament. In the future, even if there is disaster, God will come to gather us into life.

Join us in worship on this first Sunday of Advent as we prepare our hearts and minds for the Advent of our Lord.

–from SundaysAndSeasons.com and Gail Ramshaw–