A PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT OT

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT  OT

Isaiah 11:1-10

11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

    the spirit of counsel and might,

    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

    or decide by what his ears hear;

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

Come O Spirit of The Lord 

Rest upon a weary people

and bring us a spirit of wisdom and understanding

We are a people who look and see not

We see the bright lights of success and riches

not the hungry and homeless

We hear the praise and clamor of work and play

not the cry of the widow or the orphan

Come You who judge not by sight 

but by justice

who will fill the bellies of those who hunger

and give all who need shelter a safe home

Come O Spirit of The Lord 

Rest upon a weary people

and bring us a spirit of counsel and might

We are a people who listen but hear not

We arm ourselves as persons and nations

against enemies real and perceived

We are more ready to take life than give it

more willing to conquer than encourage

Come You who judge not by hearing 

but by shalom

who will break the bow and sword

and teach the ways of peace

Come O Spirit of The Lord 

Rest upon a weary people

and bring us a spirit of knowledge 

and the fear of the Lord.

We are a people who know only ourselves

We fear only getting what we have not

and using any means to obtain it

We boast that we fear no one or nothing

puffing our chests in false bravado

Come You who judge not by idol worship  

but by fear of The Lord

who will instruct us in God's ways

and show us the paths of righteousness

Come O Spirit of God

Bring us the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

  the spirit of counsel and might,

    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Amen