Advent Evening Prayer

In this Advent season, we await the coming of Christ.

Come, Lord Jesus, come to us this night. We await your coming.
We await the coming of God’s revealing light.
Come, Lord Jesus, come to us this night. We await your coming.
We await the coming of God’s saving hope.
Come, Lord Jesus, come to us this night. We await your coming.
We wait the coming of God’s redeeming child.
Come, Lord Jesus, come to us this night. We await your coming.

(Pause for lighting of the Advent candle)

We wait for the God of life,
We wait for the Christ of love,
We wait for the Spirit of truth,
Come down, come in, and dwell among us.

We wait in expectation of your coming,
We wait in hope for your promises,
We wait in joy for your salvation,
Come down, come in, and dwell among us.

Come into our hearts that we may love you,
Come into our minds that we may know you,
Come into our lives that we may serve you,
Come down, come in, and dwell among us.

(Evening Psalms)

Child of promise, come,
Revealer of God, come,
Bringer of life, come.

Come to the beaten and the battered,
Come to the despised and rejected,
Come to all in whom the divine image is still distorted.

We wait in joyful expectation.

Come not as an distant emperor, but as a helpless babe,
Come not as a prince in a gold palace, but as a displaced and frightened refugee,
Come not as a man of power, but in love and compassion,
Come to those outcast like shepherds in the field,
Come to foreigners like Magi watching from afar,
Come to rich and poor, young and old, male and female,

We wait in hopeful anticipation.

Come to bless all creation with your love,
Come to bring salvation on the earth,
Come to rule with justice and in peace.
Come, child of promise, open the windows of our hearts,
Come, Christ of compassion, open the doors of our homes, Come, Prince of Peace, open the pathways to our lives.

We wait with all the peoples of the earth.
Child of hope, we welcome your coming,
Christ of life, we welcome your coming,
King of glory, we welcome your coming.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus, and lead the captives from their prisons,
Come, Lord Jesus, for in you we trust, O King of kings.
Come to bring peace in the midst of war,
Come, Lord Jesus, for in you we trust, O King of kings.
Come to offer comfort in the presence of mourning,
Come, Lord Jesus, for in you we trust, O King of kings.
Come to provide abundance in the midst of hunger,
Come, Lord Jesus, for in you we trust, O King of kings.
Come to show forth justice for those who have been oppressed,
Come, Lord Jesus, for in you we trust, O King of kings.
Christ our Savior comes, and we welcome his coming,

Not as a king, but as a babe,
Not as a master, but as a servant,
Not as a warrior, but as a man of peace.
May we put on the armour of light this night
And clothe ourselves with Christ.

Put on hope to guide you,
Put on love to surround you,
Put on joy to sustain you,
Put on peace to inspire you,
May we put on the armor of light this night
And clothe ourselves with Christ.

We wait for the day of justice,
We wait for the dawn of righteousness,
We wait for the coming of light,
We wait for the advent of peace,
May we put on the armour of light this night
And clothe ourselves with Christ.
Amen