Advent sunsets

Maranatha is one of the most ancient Christian prayers in Jesus’s Aramaic language. It means, “Come Lord.” A prayer for the early return of Christ.

I’m still looked at very strangely when I suggest these days are about anticipating the second coming of Jesus! 

This Advent, we pray for all those struggling to live for the promise of a new day. We pray for the sunset of brutal wars. I took this picture above this afternoon. The pylon speaks of power. The sunset today reminds me that there are things of power that need to end like in Syria for example for a new day to dawn.  We pray for the sun to rise, bringing love and peace to all God’s children. We pray for all the world to be made righteous and restore all people have lost. We pray for a new day where hope, peace, love, and joy reign forever. 

We sing these words in these weeks:

“O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer, Our spirits by Thy advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.”

“Thou Dayspring” refers to the morning dawn. This verse is calling for the rising sun/Son to bring cheer to our hearts and to remove the darkness of night and death. 

God promised to bring light where there was once darkness from the light of Himself.

In fact, Jesus gives Himself later in Revelation 22:16

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Jesus is this “dayspring,” this “dawn,” this “morning star” Who brings light into our darkness as we see in the book of John:

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! 
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. 
Alleluia! Amen!