Advent Prayer
Recently a colleague of mine, with a differing eschatology, wrote the following prayer. I have adapted it to my theological understands of God's present and future reign. The changes were minor. I guess I have wanted to "mennonize" it. Nonetheless, I want to thank Mark Love of Abilene Christian University for listening to God and writing down this prayer and confession of faith.
Pictures of God's Future, Our Salvation
God has established a day in the future when all humanity will gather around one table, will constitute one family all recognizing God as Father.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
God has established a day when we will fully enjoy his presence. Sin and death will no longer separate us from God.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
God has established a day when all of creation will be set free from its bondage to decay, when God's good order will once again be seen in a new creation.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
God has established a day when all nations will stream to God's holy mountain to learn only from him. His teachings will reach the coastlands, filling all the earth.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
God has established a day when there will be no more war, nor will there be weapons of war. Although we may not easily see this day, we live it it's hope and mercy.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
God has established a day when each will be filled and satisfied, where hunger and want shall be no more.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
God has established a day when we shall have rest, when toil and struggle will no longer mark our existence and our life can be a life for others.
This is our salvation, we belong to that day
Because of Jesus and through the power of the Spirit we experience that future today…
Not fully, but in ways that are undeniably connected to that future hope
And we live together a way of life that is only explainable by our belief that this day is very real.
