Advent Reading for Tuesday, Week (December 6, 2022)

 

The Season of Advent prepares us for Christ's coming--both on Christmas Day and when we comes again in glory.  This year, we will spend each week exploring a different way we can prepare ourselves.  The post for each day will include a scripture, a song, a few brief questions to reflect upon, and a prayer. 

 

Week 2 Reminder

This week, our readings focus on "Repentance."  The Hebrew word for "repent"  תשובה (teshuva) means to return or turn back.  It's Greek counterpart μετανοώ (metanoeó) means to change one's mind or purpose--particularly when that change is as a result of accepting God's will.  For a longer description of repentance, refer back to the reading, for Sunday, Dec. 4.

Scripture

Psalm 51

Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy,
    blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
⁴ Against you, you alone, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
    and blameless when you pass judgment.
⁵ Indeed, I was born guilty,
    a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶ You desire truth in the inward being;
    therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and put a new and right spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from your presence,
    and do not take your holy spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ For you have no delight in sacrifice;
    if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
¹⁷ The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸ Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    rebuild the walls of Jerusalem;
¹⁹ then you will delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.  (NRSVUE)

 

Hymn

Questions

King David wrote Psalm 51 as part of his repentance for murdering Uriah and taking Bathsheba for himself.  Christ’s grace is sufficient for David to have received forgiveness.  

• What do you need to Christ to forgive you for?  
• What do you imagine it will be like when you are cleansed of that sin?
  
• Are you are ready to ask Jesus to help you turn around and return to God?
  

Prayer

Christ,I repent of ________.  Cleanse me of my sinfulness and return me to God's ways.   Amen.