A liturgical lament for advent. Its intention is to refocus and cause abandonment, surrender; stir desperation for and intimacy with God.
Isaiah 21:12-14 (MSG)
11-12A Message concerning Edom:
A voice calls to me
from the Seir mountains in Edom,
"Night watchman! How long till daybreak?
How long will this night last?"
The night watchman calls back,
"Morning's coming,
But for now it's still night.
If you ask me again, I'll give the same answer."
Jesus we are waiting for You.
We’ve looked back at what was said.
We’ve seen a people who waited expectantly for You.
To this people, You made promises.
They waited for You to answer their prayers.
They waited for You to silence their concerns with actions and with hope.
And You came.
Who are Your people now?
Could we be them?
What have You promised to us?
When You spoke to them,
You spoke of the voiceless breaking out in song.
You spoke of peace, of safety.
You spoke of water for baked land.
A garden in the dried landscape of desert.
Now You have come, why are the fields still parched?
Where is the water You have provided?
Where is the mighty streams of justice?
Where is God who parted the seas for his people?
Part your seas now and make a way again.
You said Justice will come when You came Jesus, Where is it?
Why did You come?
Was it not to make the ground fertile again?
Was it not to restore your people from their pain?
Why have You come?
If You are the answer, why do these things remain?
God, why is it still all the same as it was?
But the Kingdom doesn’t come from thin air.
You taught us how.
Sent your Spirit to equip us.
Why are we not yet awake?
Still so asleep in waiting for You?
Are we not Israel still in ashes?
No this is not the Kingdom!
and yet your Kingdom is here.
Ah Jesus now. Ah Jesus come again.
Come again and end it this time.
We are in agony.
We see only half of the kingdom.
Fill us with your kingdom fresh
You’re coming Jesus
You’re coming
It is not your body now in anguish in pain but your heart.
And my body to take up this anguish.
It is advent and we recall the people who cried out for a God to end things.
It’s advent and we cry out to You
We cry out to You
Yield me.
Reign You.
Isaiah 35:1-3 (MSG)
3-4Energize the limp hands,
strengthen the rubbery knees.
Tell fearful souls,
"Courage! Take heart!
God is here, right here,
on his way to put things right
And redress all wrongs.
He's on his way! He'll save you.
Katie Pearce is part of a creative worshipful community in Bournemouth, home to Church for the Night. She previously worked as a Youth Worker for an Anglican church and now devides her time between working on the issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation with a charity called love146.org, youth work with aimcommunity.org.uk and her small creative business Loveworks. by ktpx. Find her blog on livinginfreefall.tumblr.com.
