Be Not Afraid
Day 4
Hi there! I’m so glad you are joining with us for the Embracing Hope series. This year I have invited a couple of my good friends to be ‘guest writers’, and today I want to welcome Pastor Eric Brooks from Strathcona Baptist Church to our series. Eric is a gifted pastor and a close friend of mine for over 30 years. I hope you enjoy his contributions to the series.
(Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash)
Day 4 reading: Luke 2:8-10
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”
A Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we confess that, like Moses, we often ask to see your glory without understanding that, like the shepherds, we would be terrified by your glory. Father, we confess that, like Jesus’ disciples, we often ask to see Your justice on our behalf, without remembering that, like the thief on the cross, we ourselves are guilty.
Heavenly Father, this Advent season would you speak good news to our fears? Would you speak words of mercy and joy to our guilt? While we all, like sheep, have gone astray, would you gives us ears to hear the Shepherd’s voice?
We ask, Father, that we would see your glory! Let us see your glory displayed in the manger, your glory displayed on the cross, your glory lighting the darkest corners of our streets, the darkest corners of our hearts, the darkest corners of our lives. We ask, Jesus, for your justice on our behalf! And on behalf of those we have wronged. Let us see your perfect justice and your perfect mercy, enfleshed in a babe lying in a feed trough, embodied in the Son of man bleeding on a cross, enthroned in the King of kings and Lord of lords seated on his glorious throne.
Jesus, this Advent season may others see your glory in us. May the least receive your justice through us. May all know your mercy from us. Father, may we hear, and bring, good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Amen.
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