St. Bartholomew Church

One of the most ancient prayers of the church was very simple. 3 words. Come, lord Jesus. It was the prayer they'd say as they were waiting for his second coming.

And it is certainly a prayer we should turn to as we enter into Advent - as we too prepare for Jesus’ Second coming, as we prepare to celebrate anew his first coming in 4 weeks.  But also as we do something we may not often consider, Jesus’ third coming - all of the ways Jesus tries to come to us everyday, all of the ways in which we need Jesus to come to us everyday.    

And with that, I think we would all do well to offer that simple three word prayer in the course of our everyday lives this season - to make it the center of our advent journey this year. However each of us might need to pray it in our everyday moments.  Maybe something like:

Into my impatience.  Come, Lord Jesus. 

Into my narrow vision, Into my closed and uncharitable heart, my open and gossipy mouth. Come, Lord Jesus.

Into my stubbornness, my pride, my inability to see past myself. CLJ

Into my sin, especially the sin I refuse to admit or repent from. CLJ

Into all the ways I keep You at a safe and comfortable distance in my life. CLJ

Into my bitterness and resentment and self-righteousness.  CLJ 

Into my crazy, into all of my messes. CLJ

Into my hurts, my fears, my worries, my anxiety, into my brokenness. CLJ

Into my joys, into the Grace's I so often take for granted. CLJ

Into my family. CLJ

Into my suffering, Into the sufferings of those I love. CLJ

Into all the ways I need to forgive, Into all the ways I need to be forgiven. CLJ

Into all the ways I am not yet conformed to you.

Into all the ways I need to grow in holiness and be merciful and compassionate. CLJ

Into all the ways I am lost or frustrated or just left holding my tired head in my tires hands. CLJ

My brothers and sisters. Let us make room for Jesus in all the ways we know we need to. In all the ways we know we don’t let him into our lives. Let's allow this sacred season of holy waiting to be one where we truly encounter him. Not just in 4 weeks. But as he truly wants to come to us. Today and every day.  God help us all. +