By Abigail Ogier, Deputy Head of Chapliancy for MHA
Reading: Psalm 4 v. 8
Notes:
One of the practices that nourishes my spirituality is taking time away on retreat. Often this means staying with a religious community and entering into their rhythm of daily prayer. Psalm 4:8 is familiar to me from Night Prayer or Compline, the final prayers of the day, after which I usually head straight to bed. Because of this, I have long heard the verse as a gentle, confident expression of trust in God at the close of the day.
Yet the psalm begins not in peace, but in longing and distress: a plea for God to answer, to bring relief, to come close. Read this way, the calm assurance of the final verse becomes part of a journey, a movement from anxiety to trust. This resonates with Advent. It is a season shaped by waiting and longing, when we name the world’s shadows and our own, while daring to hope for God’s light to break in. Peace is not always immediate; sometimes it grows slowly in the dark.
Wonder:
I wonder: in this Advent season, do you find night to be a time of peace, or one of restlessness and questioning? Has this changed at different times in your life?
What practices help you watch and wait with hope? Is it worship, music, silence, prayer, or sitting quietly with God? Perhaps being outdoors, walking, or another activity that helps you notice small signs of light and peace?
Prayer:
Loving God, we thank you that you are with us in every season;
in longing and in fulfilment, in shadow and in light.
As we watch and wait for the coming of Christ,
help us to trust you with all our thoughts and feelings.
Grant us glimpses of your dawning light,
and guide us into the fullness of the peace you promise. Amen.