Wait of Glory

Wait of Glory
by Nichole Woo

An Advent prayer based on Luke 3:25-38

Sovereign Lord,
We wait.

Like Simeon,
we bear the chains of a nation
and world oppressed –
longing for consolation.

As he waited in Jerusalem, so we do here,
for the redemption of all things lost:

We wait in exam rooms
and endless lines of cars –
as bodies and faith are tested.

We wait with hands and hearts pressed
against windows or glass-sliding doors,
to embrace those loved on the other side.

We wait for wholeness in a house divided,
relationships broken,
and fractured hope.

Together with your servant Simeon,
we strain our eyes for Light,
and wait.

Sovereign Lord,
We wait.

Like Mary,
offering up her firstborn Son
at the temple.

We, like her, see in a mirror dimly –
promises and prophecies veiled from view.

We cling, as did she,
to the Child in her arms.
Confused and conflicted,
amazed and undone.

We fear a future,
fueled by opposition
and the sword of soul-piercing pain.

Together with your servant Mary, we feel the certainty of uncertainty,
cling to your glory,
and wait.

Sovereign Lord,
We wait.

Like the prophetess Anna,
through moments, months, and years.

In worship by day
and the sleeplessness of nights,
we seek you in the rhythms of life:

Through strength and weakness,
service and sacrifice,
in inconsolable grief and inexplicable joy.

Together with your servant Anna, we live in the promise of your presence
– sometimes felt, sometimes not –
and wait.

We wait, Sovereign Lord,
impatiently and imperfectly.

Forgive us for expecting what we think we need,
instead of waiting for you.

Forgive us for clinging to certainty,
instead of waiting on you.

Forgive us for craving the presence of anything and everything,
instead of You.

You, who came at the fullness of time –
into darkness.

Give us eyes, like Simeon’s to see your salvation.
Ears, like Mary’s to hear and hold your promises close.
Lips, like Anna’s that speak of your presence.

And most of all, Lord,
give us your Spirit –
to teach us to wait.

So that we, together with them,
will see your Light is come.

 

Nichole Woo writes at the confluence of belonging and a life that nudges her to the edges. She’s been the only girl on the team, the fumbling foreigner in the coffee shop, and the only mom she knows that coexists with an OCD diagnosis and a dirty kitchen. Nichole is managing editor at The Mudroom and a member of the Redbud Writer’s Guild. She calls the Rockies home – where she’s happiest on their edges, pretending to be a Colorado native despite her flatland origins. Connect with Nichole at http://www.walkthenarrows.com.