(Based on Psalm 111, the first
evening psalm for the first Sunday of Advent)
Eternally
faithful covenant God,
Praise is certainly due your name!
Has anything been more sure in the history of mankind? For surely as long as we
have lived, you have ever remained faithful, and deserving of honor and praise—so
tonight we honor you in our hearts and praise you with our lips. Your works
have been many, great, and mighty: so much so that they are incredible—the people
who surround us disbelieve that you could accomplish such things as parting a
sea and destroying a pharaoh; as crushing a city by parade; as sending fire
from heaven; as raising from death. Your works are myriad, and to the
unbelieving they remain mythical, but we who have known your love see them as
wonderful; and they give us cause to remember you even this night. You have
brought them to mind for us because recalling your deeds in the past gives us
comfort in the presence.
Always have
you acted in faithfulness, righteousness, truth and purity; love and glory—mercy
and gracious compassion. Eternally.faithful.covenant.God. You have provided us
with food and nourishment, but not solely that of flesh and body: we do not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from you. It is by you
that we live: from the first breath breathed into the first man to the
sustaining power of your breath every morning and every word breathed out into
holy writ and by holy men. We depend on you and your covenant.
In Christ
you have come to us, offering us that blessed transaction; transaction alone?
No, but in declaring us righteous and him sin, you have given us the
firstfruits of peace that you are still outworking in us. Daily through your
dynamic interaction we come to perceive deeper what your grace and love toward
us is. Daily we are shaped and nurtured by your pedagogy that is covenant. And
all the while it is characterized by love and holiness. You have given us the inheritance
of the nations, namely Christ—that seed of the woman who crushed the serpent;
that seed of Abraham who has brought blessing; that seed of David who sits
enthroned forever.
In Christ
you have shown the supreme power of your works—through yourself the Son you
have accomplished redemption for your people. And it is his incarnation that we
begin to look back to, even as we look forward to its celebration later this
month. We stand in fear of your awesome might, knowing that we are deserving of
Pharaoh’s destruction, Jericho’s fall, Baal’s incineration, and death’s vice.
But we also know that because you have approached us with your covenant, we stand
not only in fear but in awe and praise, even joy. Teach us to live out the
incarnate wisdom of Christ, and when we fail, faithful Lord, remind us still of
your mighty work: forgiveness.
Amen.
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