Advent is a season that speaks to the heart of our broken world.
It is a time of holy tension, where lament and hope intertwine.
The prophets of old stood in this tension, speaking with urgency to a people in darkness. They dared to imagine a future where God’s justice would reign, where light would pierce the night, and where a wounded world would be healed.
Today, we stand in the shadow of their words. We see the groaning of creation all around us. The earth is warming, seas are rising, and storms grow fiercer. Forests burn, and communities are uprooted. The most vulnerable—the poor, the displaced, the next generations—face the brunt of a crisis they did not create. Creation itself cries out in anguish.
And yet, Advent reminds us that this is not the end of the story. A King is coming, one who will bring justice for the oppressed and healing for all creation. His light will shine in every darkness; his love will bind every wound. Advent calls us to speak with the voice of the prophets—to name the pain of the world but also to declare the hope of God’s coming Kingdom.
This is a season for the Church to rise up as a prophetic community, pointing to the day when swords will be beaten into plowshares, when the lion will lie down with the lamb, and when every tear will be wiped away. But Advent also calls us to pastoral care—to hold the pain of those suffering now, to stand alongside them, and to act with compassion and urgency.
As we face the climate crisis, we cry out: Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
For those displaced by rising waters, we plead: Lord, have mercy.
For our children and grandchildren, for a world on the brink, we declare: Christ, have mercy.
Advent is not a passive waiting. It is a call to action, to love boldly and sacrificially, even as we long for the coming of the King. So, as we wait, let us pray. As we wait, let us act. As we wait, let us live as people of hope, trusting that the light of Christ will transform even the darkest night.
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
So let us pray
Father of Creation, God of Hope,
You spoke through the prophets of old,
Filling them with visions of justice and peace,
Stirring their hearts with dreams of a new world,
Where your light would break through every shadow.
To you be all praise and glory.
They longed for the coming of the King,
For the One who would bring healing to the nations,
Who would bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free.
In their words, we hear your promise:
To you be all praise and glory.
In the advent of your Son,
The darkest night gives way to dawn.
No shadow is too deep, no despair too great,
For his light shines in every corner.
To you be all praise and glory.
In the advent of your Son,
A world wounded by sin and sorrow
Receives the balm of your grace.
No wound is beyond his healing, no heart beyond his touch.
To you be all praise and glory.
Father of Creation, God of Hope,
Your Church looks out upon a world in pain.
We see the scars of a creation groaning:
Forests consumed by fire, homes swallowed by rising seas,
The most vulnerable left to suffer.
We lift our eyes to your coming Kingdom.
As temperatures rise,
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
As sea levels rise,
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
For our children,
Lord, have mercy.
For our grandchildren,
Christ, have mercy.
For the world’s most vulnerable,
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
In our waiting, let us not grow weary.
In our waiting, let us pray boldly, act courageously, and love fiercely.
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
With the coming of your Son,
The violence of our world will be stilled.
In the presence of his perfect love, transformation will come.
To you be all praise and glory.
With the coming of your Son,
Every aching heart will find its home.
There is no tear he will not wipe away,
No sorrow he will not redeem.
To you be all praise and glory.
Father of Creation, God of Hope,
Your covenant people stand with expectation,
With anticipation of the day when all things will be made new.
Come, Lord Jesus, and establish your reign forever.
To you be all praise and glory.
Amen.
Swales 2024
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