Day 1

Advent

1. Prophet’s Candle (Hope)

with roving eyes
a wild-haired raver
cries on the corner
woe to the scroller
of luminous screens
to the bended knee
before the altar of
me me meager offering
of music and words
woe to the land
of the tank and the drone
how long o Lord

touch a coal to the lips
heal the limp in the stride
thief in the night Lord
come we are drowning
in words and the words
of your prophets ring
hollow in hardened hearts
we await the word who was
in the beginning and is
and is to come
Lord come
you are
coming
are you

Dr. Brent Newsom

Day 2

Hope starts as a spark, and it can vanish just as quickly. But how does hope emerge? We all know that moment—the instant before hope settles in our hearts. It's a distinct point in time when something whispers that things will be different, that the struggle won't last forever, that there's still a chance.

Then hope steps in, uprooting darkness and instilling light, transforming how we see and understand our current season. But what happens when hope seems lost, when times remain dark, and we can't see a way out? Does hope cease to exist simply because it eludes our sight?

Listen carefully—can you hear it calling? Hope waits to be found, heard, seen, and experienced. Scripted by God, hope lives on despite our circumstances and fears. Because of who God is, we can believe in and look forward to the light. God's faithfulness endures. His character remains unchanging, and because of this truth, we can continue to hope, anticipating the joy of transformation as light pierces our darkness.

Heather DeShazer

Day 3

Ford Mastin

Day 4

I wonder. Maybe it’s wander.

Would I know the words of the Prophet? Or would I call her crazy? Or mean? Would he hurt my feelings or question my priorities? Would they say that I got it all wrong or that I’ve served only myself?

I hope. Maybe it’s prayer.

May the God of the Beginning let me at least hear the Word. May the God of the Wilderness bring peace to my mind. May the God of the Deepest Waters show Love beyond all kindness. May the God who knows my heart bend my passions to a Greater Good. May the God of Forgiveness hold space for my wrongs and redeem all of my parts.

I sing. I cry. I love. I fight. I push. I wait. I listen.

For the “Days are Coming”.

Canaan Crane

Day 5

Pray for eyes to see the hope of Christ rooted in the promises of God.

Thematic Hymn: “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”

1 Lo, How a Rose e’er blooming From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-gone was the night.

2 Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright
She bore to men a Savior
When half-gone was the night.

3 This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens every load

Project: Make a “Jesse Tree.” This is an ancient tradition based on Isaiah 11:1. You make ornament symbolizing twenty-four Bible stories building up to the birth of Jesus. One example can be found at https://loandbeholdbible.com/resources/jesse-tree-advent/