This blog is to share what I had wanted to share by video on Wednesday but couldn't due to some technical snags. So here is a slightly edited version of what I wanted to share with you.
This is for the first Wednesday of Advent.
Starting with a word of prayer:
Give us ears to hear, O God and eyes to watch, that we may know your presence in our midst during this holy season of joy as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ.
The reading for today is Psalm 80.
Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears hby the bowlful. You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.
Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. (Psalms 80:1-19 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.80.1-19.NIV)
Wow - what an interesting Psalm. I wonder what stood out to you. For me it was the refrain similar but not identical that appears three times in the psalm.
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
There's so much we could say about this psalm but I will touch on that refrain, in its four parts.
Restore us
The psalmist is asking God to turn the people back to Himself. The word used is related to the word for repentance. Repentance is an action that we as humans need to do, but here the psalmist is asking God to turn us around, to bring us back to where we should be - with God.
O God; God almighty; Lord God almighty
With each repeat of the refrain, the writer adds a bit to his description of God. First time, it's just "O God", then he adds "almighty" - which means the all-powerful God. Finally he says Lord God almighty - not only is God all-powerful but God is Lord, God is in control, a truth that gives us reason to be hopeful. And Hope is the theme for Week One of Advent.
Make your face to shine on us
This phrase reminded me of the Aaronic blessing that God instructed Aaron to and his sons to say when they pronounce a blessing on someone. It goes like this:
The LORD bless you and keep you
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The LORD turn His face towards you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)
He blessing is self-explanatory but I would point out that these are the words God prescribed to be used for a blessing - the implication being that that is exactly what God wants to do - God wants to make His face shine upon you and me.
That we may be saved.
I think many Christians have a very specific and narrow understanding of the word saved. People tend to think about being "saved to eternal life" , that is that it is all about where we will go after we die. Their whole theology is based on getting people "saved". It was a worldview that I subscribed to myself for many years. While we definitely can look forward to a time when all the bad will be done away with all the hurt and sadness, all poverty and all materialism will not blight our existences, our future hope does not mean we ignore where we are in our lives at this time, imperfect as it is. We can cry out to Lord God almighty to save us from
COVID 19 and all its effects
Climate Change
Knife and gun violence
Terrorism
Abuse of children and vulnerable adults
People trafficking and modern slavery
Poverty
Racism, religious intolerance, homophobia and transphobia.
Many other things.
God would want to save us from these things and God would use us to save us from those many things.
If we read the psalm, we see many situations which the Psalmist is praying to be saved from. What situation are you asking God to save you from?
I believe we don't have to wait until we go to heaven to have God shine His face upon us but as we prayed at the start we can experience God's presence with us and the God's face shines on us a lot more often than we're aware of or acknowledge.
To conclude I want to share with you the closing of the Compline service.
In peace we lay down and sleep
For You alone Lord, make us dwell in safety
Abide with us Lord Jesus
For the night is at hand and the day is now past.
As the night watch looks for the morning
So do we look for You, O Christ.
Restore us again, O God of hosts
Show us the light of your countenance
And we shall be saved
Bless and Keep us, this night and always
Amen
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