On this fourth Advent Sunday, here is a gift for you … and me. The reading is in Isaiah, chapter 11 … my dear, dear friends … you will see that what we have before us is only a smattering of all that has been spoken concerning us … NOTHING has been left undone; in no way have we been left outside in the cold this Advent season.
I will light my four candles and remember this, and remember you, in prayer.
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots,
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5)
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 15:5)
3 And 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;
the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Psalm 147:11)
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)
5 Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (Ephesians 6:14)
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)
7 The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. (Matthew 5:5)
8 The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:19)
9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33)
10 In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1-10)
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
a young Hass avocado shoot
Ingvar-fed
by permission, Wikipedia
Marketplace Monastics 