Monday, December 22nd

From the halls of power to the fortress tower,

not a stone will be left on stone.

Let the king beware for your justice tears

ev'ry tyrant from his throne.

The hungry poor shall weep no more,

for the food they can never earn;

There are tables spread,
ev'ry mouth be fed,

for the world is about to turn.

Refrain

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.

Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,

and the world is about to turn!
                                           ~ Canticle of the Turning

     We sang the most beautifully powerful and hopeful song yesterday in worship. The chorus continues to sing inside me: The world is about to turn. And I feel it. I’m not a dancer, and even with my bum knee I felt like dancing as we sang the chorus together: The world is about to turn.
     These past days have held unspeakable violence against children and their families in Pakistan…and the world is about to turn. In so many ways our country is going through deep pain with neighbors striking out against neighbors…and the world is about to turn. In our city there are children and families walking the streets and going to bed hungry…
     We are nearing the end of this Advent season. It feels to me like Christmas is all of a sudden arriving. It’s not that I didn’t wait and watch ~ I did. But all of a sudden Christmas is coming this week.
     And I’ll confess, I fell into the hustle and bustle of consumerism and have more presents than I have energy to wrap them (always a bad sign). And I feel the need to confess that I’m weary as Christmas comes.
     Our pastor, David Lewicki asked in his sermon, “Do you believe in the coming of the Dawn?” And as he preached I nodded my head because I do believe in the Dawn that has been promised, the Dawn that is soon to come. I long for the Light that will shine with the birth that is now just a few days away. I believe in God’s saving grace and in the gift of the newborn Son. For me, the Dawn unfolds as the story of Bethlehem is told: Two weary travelers finding no beds but desperately needing to stop and rest. Angels singing songs of Alleluia, because something is soon to happen that will turn everything on its head. Shepherds and wise men stand shoulder to shoulder to be in the presence of Hope being born. And a baby’s cry on a dark night changes the world.
     Just a little more, we wait. We hold fast to the promise and story. We lean in so that we don’t miss one moment of it. The busyness of the world falls away now, for you and me. We have come this far, and there’s just a little bit further to go… Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn!
      The Dawn is soon coming. Stay awake. Lean in. Emmanuel, God with us.

                            Breath prayer:   “every mouth”    “be fed”

Prayer:
God of the Coming Dawn, we pray for those who are afraid. We pray for the hungry and those without homes. We pray for the sick and the dying. We pray for those who have lost loved ones and who grieve this day. We pray for those who are in prison. We pray for countries where there are battles being fought this day. Bring your Light and turn us, turn us all toward your Coming Dawn. Amen.

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