Tuesday 5 December 2023

Today is Tuesday the 5th of December, in the first week of Advent.

The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Advent Song’.

God of wisdom
Lord and ruler
Root of Jesse
King of David
Rising sun
King of the nations
Immanuel
Immanuel
Immanuel
Immanuel
Lord Jesus, come
Lord Jesus, come
Lord Jesus, come
Lord Jesus, come




Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 11:1-10

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
 and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
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.
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;
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.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
 and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
 the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
 and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
 their young shall lie down together;
 and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
 and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
 on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

For some elements of scripture, it can be helpful to try to experience the scene imaginatively. This beautiful reading from Isaiah holds so much that using the imagination can reveal something ‘more’, leading you deeper into prayer and revelation.

‘Like a shoot that emerges from the stump of Jesse’, the Advent season is a time of new beginnings. It is a time when we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord.

Every Advent is different. Where do you find yourself? Do you feel this call to renewal?

How might you imagine the qualities of the shoot described in this passage—wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord?

Is there some gift or quality that you wish to ask of the Lord today?

As Christians, we are called to cultivate these virtues in our own lives during this season. To work towards the promise of a peaceful and harmonious world described here.

How might the Lord help you to contribute to an attitude of peace in your own life and in the world around you?

As you listen to the passage again, visualise this world where justice brings such peace and reconciliation that even the natural world will live in harmony.

In this time of prayer, allow the shoot of hope to blossom in your heart. Ask to be guided by the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

O Wisdom,
Lord and Ruler,
Root of Jesse,
Key of David,
Rising Sun,
King of the Nations,
Emmanuel.
Come, Lord Jesus.