Link to free PDF here: https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjm⁣

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Let Us Return⁣

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𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝟴𝟱:𝟭-𝟮, 𝟴-𝟭𝟯 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝟲:𝟭-𝟲 𝟭 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭:𝟮-𝟭𝟬⁣

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𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘦-𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮, 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.⁣

–Lancelot Andrewes⁣

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To live as a Christian, one must learn to be comfortable with tension. Though it is not as simple as we might prefer, wisdom is found in holding seemingly contradictory ideas in proximity to one another. Take, for example, the ancient words given to us today from Hosea 6: “Come, let us return to the LORD.” Within this single phrase we are confronted with the reality of our own initiative and responsibility to tend to our life with God, as well as the fact that any genuine return to God is first made possible by his movement towards us.⁣

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In Advent, as our Lord draws near, we must actively examine the condition of our lives. Are we ready to greet him upon his arrival? In this way, repentance always lies at the heart of faithful preparation. To repent is to not only to feel sorrow over the effect of sin in your heart and life, but it is equally an act of the will, purposefully turning away from sin and death and taking on habits that lead us into places of peace.⁣

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You can passionately pursue God without falling into the trap of anxious toil or self-assured living. In fact, the Incarnation of God is the end of all striving. As we “press on to know the LORD” (Hos. 6:3), we do so knowing that it is God in Christ Jesus who heals us, raises us up, and makes us whole. Advent reminds us that we have work to do, inviting us to take seriously the call to holy and faithful living. Yet this way of life is not of our making, but is a gift to be received, like spring rain that falls to water the parched earth.⁣

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𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸⁣

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.⁣

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𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲⁣

While prayer is meant to be a conversation with God, so often it is a one-way monologue in which we rarely stop to simply listen to God. In many ways, a posture of listening is a physical embodiment of a life free from all striving. As you pray today, however long you spend speaking to God in prayer, take at least the same amount of time listening for his still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).