Isaiah 11

The Peaceful Kingdom

1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see

or decide by what his ears hear,

4 but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor

and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

6The wolf shall live with the lamb;

the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

the calf and the lion will feed together,

and a little child shall lead them.

7The cow and the bear shall graze;

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.

9 They will not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples;

the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Psalms 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

1 Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to a king’s son.

2 May he judge your people with righteousness

and your poor with justice.

3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness.

4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the needy,

and crush the oppressor.

5 May he live while the sun endures

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth.

7 In his days may righteousness flourish

and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may his glory fill the whole earth.

Amen and Amen.

A Litany of Peace

Leader:

In a world often frozen by fear, weariness, and division, Advent calls us to live as people who expect thaw—people who trust that God is already bringing new life.

People:

Christ, Hope of all the Earth,

make us living signs of Your coming spring.

Leader:

A shoot grows from Jesse’s stump—

the One who leads with wisdom, justice, and understanding.

Jesus is that promised King.

People:

Root us in Your Spirit

that we may act with courage and compassion.

Leader:

He judges with righteousness, defends the poor,

crushes oppression, and brings peace that falls like gentle rain.

People:

Let His peace fall on us,

and make us protectors of the vulnerable.

Leader:

Isaiah imagines wolves at peace with lambs,

children safe where danger once lived,

and a world filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

People:

Make us participants in this peace—

quietly stubborn in hope, refusing despair.

Leader:

So even when life feels like it’s always winter,

we light this candle—

a small flame that tells the truth of a greater Light.

People:

Christ, Hope of all the Earth,

steady our hearts and make Your peace visible through us.

Leader:

Blessed be the Lord who alone does wondrous things;

may His glory fill the whole earth.

People:

Come, Prince of Peace. Make us living signs of Your coming spring.