A Concord Pastor Comments: NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 12/5

At sundown today we begin to celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent, a season of joyful expectation of Christmas; a season for renewing our hearts as a dwelling place for Christ today; and a season for contemplating Christ's coming again at the end of time...

If you have an Advent Wreath at home, pray for faith this week

as you light the first and second candles each day.

If you don't have an Advent Wreath

- light any candle you have and pray for faith.

If you have no candle,

simply stay right here with candles above and pray for faith...

You may offer this prayer

each time you light the candles on the wreath this week...

As we light the second candle on the Advent wreath,
we pray for the gift of faith...

for the deepening of faith
in the hearts of all believers...

for deeper faith

for harder times...

for the gift of faith
for those who seek it...

for the strengthening of faith
in those who doubt...

for the faith we need to help us make it

through the night and day to day...

for any whose faith
   is shaken or broken...

for faith to help us endure
   our most difficult days and nights...

for faith strong enough
   to lead us to speak and act upon what we believe...

for the wisdom of faith
   to help us discern and understand...

for the prudence of faith

to shape our words and deeds...

for the courage and conviction we need

to share our faith with others...

for unity and harmony
among people of all faiths...

God, grant us:

the faith we need to help us live,

the faith we need to help us love,

the faith we need to help us believe,

the faith we need to give us hope,

the faith we need to act with justice...

the faith we need to speak your word of truth...

Give us faith that leads us:
    to share what we have in serving the poor;
    to work for a harvest of justice and peace;
    to restore the beauty of your creation...

God, give us faith in you and your word,
in our neighbors near and far,
and in ourselves...

Amen.