Litany for Advent

Response:

Come to our longing

O God of Eternal Joy.

Reader:

God our Creator,

You have created us in your image

and have placed within us a longing so great

that we hardly dare own it

Give us the courage

to dare to hunger for you with our whole being

so that in hungering for you,

we live for you

loving you in our every breath, thought and action.

Response:

Come to our longing

O God of Eternal Joy.

Reader:

O Christ

You are the immense longing of God

a longing which calls and embarrasses us

in its vulnerability and entirety,

a longing that delights

and terrifies us.

Come, come and confront our poor love

with the humility and recklessness

of your self giving

so that we may abandon all that binds us

and anoint you

with the fearless surrender of our lives.

Response:

Come to our longing

O God of Eternal Joy.

Reader:

O Holy life giving Spirit

You are the joy of Heaven

that longs to fill us,

The might of God

that longs to empower us

The brokenness of God

that longs to restore us

Come,

come to our fears and our reluctance

our apathy and our cowardice

For you can bring life to

the deserts of our hearts

You can bring song to the darkest night

Response:

Come to our longing

O God of Eternal Joy.