12/12 The Weary World

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.”
Luke 1:46-48
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Written by Kelly Ponte
The weary world rejoices.

Every year on Christmas Eve, singing in the twinkling dark of a full room with a lit candlestick in my hands, these words always make tears leap to my eyes. The sharp pairing of weariness with joy is always so poignant, and as I tried this year to express the same sentiment in my own words, I simply couldn’t do it. 

The weary world…

I feel so weary this year. Weary from the loss. Weary from the anxiety, the fear, the unknown, the responsibility, the changes, the flexibility required every day. Canceled birthdays, improvised gatherings, virtual (insert everything here). Actually, it may have been a mistake to list them like that, because seeing it all together is making my heart pull. And it’s not just me. It’s the whole world. 

…rejoices. 

This weary world? How? For yonder breaks a new and glorious dawn! And the dawn is not a new year or a new cure. It is the Lord’s gift to us, once and still, every day, every year: Jesus Christ, our savior. Our father knows how to ease burdens, and he holds us in his hands. His son walks alongside us, and his spirit fills our hearts. While this world may be dark, I am reminded that I am not of this world.

This Advent season, I am ready to cast off my weariness and instead rejoice as I anticipate his presence in my life as well as his coming – a new and glorious dawn. 
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Lord, open my spirit up to your joy today, even as I acknowledge my weariness. Fill me with the hope of your presence. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)