The season of Advent is like the night before the dawning of the new day. The world is at its darkest, and we are waiting for: 

God’s re-creation of the new day which the hymn ‘Morning has broken’ speaks of. 

 

The Hebrew Scriptures speak often of this waiting. 

 

I waited, I waited for the Lord 

and he stooped down to me; 

he heard my cry. 

Psalm 40:2 

 

We wait in this dark winter time, like a monastic community rising to pray in the night, like the guard on the city wall, looking for the first sign of dawn, and looking forward to the feast when Jesus comes and: 

By the tender mercy of our God, 

the dawn from on high will break upon us. 

Luke 1:78 

 

So we pray: 

 

As watchmen wait for the morning, 

So do we wait for you, O Lord. 

Come to us, at the dawning of the day, 

and make yourself known to us 

in the breaking of bread. 

Amen 

 

Bill Rogers 

Team Priest, Forest and Avon Team 

Assistant Rural Dean, Alderbury Deanery 

 

This prayer is from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000), which is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000. 

http://www.churchofengland.org/