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#advantageousadvent Day #5 Advent Blue

About a week ago, I dug out my watercolors to help me to actively ponder the season of Advent to come. The blue image below is what resulted in my doodling and searching for hope. 

 So. Much. Blue. 

The liturgical color for this Church season used to be purple, but now is blue. In many ways this seems fitting to this time of waiting, this time of longing for and anticipating hope, joy, love and peace of this season. But this focus on the color blue also allows me to wrestle with the difficult things of life: injustice, violence, poverty and the like. 

When you think of feeling blue this time of year, the popular song by Elvis, (one of my personal favorites) "Blue Christmas" speaks to the need and hope to be with the ones we love in this holiday season.

It seems every way I look today, there is lots and lots of blue.
What are the blue things of life that you notice today? 

Psalm 72 is a prayer for guidance and support for the up and coming King. It calls for those who are in places of power to work on the behalf of those that do not have power - and in all things to work for peace. 

This Psalm speaks of the 'King' as one that has a radiant quality, who will,"be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may righteousness flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!" 

This leader has a huge responsibility - and seems to be focused on using their power for the benefit of others; to bring hope for all the blueness of life. 

That in the midst of this sea of blue, that there is light and hope because of the Christ child.I like that Advent is represented in the color blue and its important for me to recall that blue is not only a color for sadness - but it also is the color of hope. 

What are the "Hopeful" blue things of life that you notice today? 
Prayer:
We long for peace and hope.
We long for leaders who use their resources and wisdom to care for the needs of others.
We long for the ability to see hope in the blue of this Advent season.
Jesus, help us see the beauty of this blue season.
Help us to know that Advent blue is the color of hope.
Amen

A Psalm of Solomon.

72 Give the king thy justice, O God,
and thy righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge thy people with righteousness,
    and thy poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness!
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the needy,
    and crush the oppressor!
May he live[a] while the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth!
In his days may righteousness flourish,
    and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

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