Prayer of Hope

For the First Sunday of Advent

God of all hope,

When those seeking food and shelter
are told only to pray to Jesus,

When those fleeing the devastation of war
are told only to go to Jesus,

And when those who
have lost all hope
are told only to hope in Jesus,

Then, Lord, I have failed.

For if I will not welcome
those whom the world now rejects,
then why would I welcome the child
whom the world did reject?

So, instead of the usual
empty platitudes of the season,
may I offer real hope,
a hope that feeds,
clothes, and shelters,
heals broken lives,
and mends broken spirits.

In the name of Christ,

Amen