Christmas (1)
Prayer
Gentle Words In A Raging Storm
Prayers for all occasions
How great is your love, O God,
to send us your Son.
Though your Church has waited four weeks for the coming
of Christmas,
many of us have waited the coming of Christ
for years.
Some of us have forgotten what it is we are waiting
for.
We have lost patience and turned to lesser gods that
deliver instant pleasure.
We have lost faith and begun believing in boisterous
gods to protect us -- gods of death and destruction.
We have lost hope and become cynical and hard
rather than face our fear.
Christ of compassion,
come into our hearts this Christmas.
Be born in us today.
Provide us that new life that can only come from your
Spirit:
the new life of faith that is steadfast and sure;
the new life of hope that endures beyond the feasible;
the new life of love that increases as it is given
away.
Because of our stubborn blindness,
we have waited too long for your love.
Open our eyes that we may see your love
which has waited much longer
for us. Amen.
Christmas (2)
It is the Day of Joy, O Loving God,
when our memory of your gift of life becomes vivid
and real.
The millions of paths and highways
we have chosen to follow
converge at Bethlehem where a small child brings
comfort to generations of believers.
We pause at the manger to hear a new message and
receive creative directions for the living of our
lives.
For unto us a child is born;
unto us a Son is given.
And a peace that is incomprehensible has entered the
world!
The stream of history has deviated from the integrity
of the gospel.
Our nation has witnessed the destruction of false
prophets;
our parents and grandparents smelled the stench of
death wrought by war after senseless war;
hungry and starving people have grown weary as their
desperate pleas for human compassion have gone
unheeded.
How far we have wandered from your path of
righteousness!
What great distance have we strayed from your cross
of compassion!
Comfort your people, O God,
not with cheap grace,
but with the assurance that true discipleship matters
and has impact on human suffering, loneliness, and
fear.
We come to you
because you have come to us. Amen.
Christmas (3)
The bells of Christmas ring in our ears, O Lord,
even as your love rings true in our hearts.
For unto us a child is born
and our barren lives are filled with great joy!
Unto us a Son is given
and our dark world is bathed in his light.
He takes upon himself the government of our minds
and we sense a purpose and direction in our lives.
He is our Wonderful Counselor,
the Mighty God,
the Prince of Peace,
who saves us from our self-deceit,
our desperation,
our paralyzing guilt,
our consuming grief,
our fear of death,
and our fear of life.
O God, who speaks to the humble the word of hope,
open our eyes that we may see the brilliant revelation
of the Child who was born for us all,
the one who takes away the sins of the world
and brings us life that overcomes death.
He gives us love that heals the wounds of our past.
He gives voice to our carols of joy! Amen.
Christmas (4)
O Bright and Shining God,
who comes to us in the Morning Star,
awaken our eyes to the gift of your Spirit.
Help us to see through eyes of faith
the great and glorious advent of everlasting love and universal
forgiveness.
Reach into the depths of our hearts and seize our
conviction and commitment to your word and work.
May we labor with joy in service to your Kingdom:
that the stranger to our community may be received
as a friend;
that those from faraway places may enjoy the warmth
of our homes and our hearts;
that the lonely and distressed may discover a family
who cares
so that every knee may one day bow down and every
tongue confess you as Lord and Savior.
Blessed God, we thank you for the Word made flesh,
which not only dwelled among us,
but resides within us -- where blood and bone come
together to form a human being softened by the word
of compassion,
humbled by the word of pardon,
strengthened by the hope of salvation,
and encouraged by the promise of peace.
May we be an instrument of your peace, O God, and
a disciple of your love. Amen.
Christmas (5)
Loving God, in the warmth of the virgin's womb
the Holy Child waits to be born.
In the cradle of our hearts, Jesus Christ waits to be reborn.
Is it possible, O God, that we too could experience
rebirth this night?
Is it possible that a head full of questions could
find peace on a night such as this?
Is it possible a heart burdened by the shame of
yesterday could find release from guilt, restoration
of esteem, confidence for the future?
Your messenger, Gabriel, announced to Mary that "with
God, nothing is impossible."
If this is true, Lord, then give us
faith that goes beyond fear,
belief that overcomes doubt,
hope that shines like a star in the darkest night
of our desolation.
O Wonderful Counselor, lead us by the hand through
the confusion of our lives;
Mighty God, give us power and courage to live your
love;
Everlasting Father, comfort us when we come running
to you bleeding and hurt.
O Prince of Peace, quiet the passions of this warring
world,
the conflict in our communities,
the struggle in our hearts.
May your peace restore our hope,
your presence return our joy! Amen.
Christmas (6)
O Peaceful and Quiet God,
you arrive in the stillness of the night and are
greeted by those who have been patiently waiting.
It is the fullness of time,
the acceptable time,
the eternal now,
the moment of ultimate meaning.
It is a time when your radiant light reveals our
carefully kept secrets,
our well-hidden faults,
our character blemishes,
and our desperate illusions.
It is a time to face ourselves and our past
and make important decisions about our future.
Must we continue to be the victim of carelessness,
apathy, self-centered preoccupations, ancient grudges,
destructive guilt?
Or have you created this moment for us to choose
who is to be Lord of our lives?
On this night is your power sufficient for us to
collect the courage it takes to let go of peevish
thoughts, irritating behaviors, controlling feelings,
and experience once again,
or perhaps for the first time,
that indescribable sense of release and relief that
comes when we say, "Yes!" to the gift of your Spirit?
Give wings to our timid faith that we may soar like
eagles above the valley of anguish and the ravines
of anger.
We want so much to believe in the magic of Christmas,
the possibilities of love,
the peace of mind that comes with a life of purpose
and direction.
Grant us, O God, the gift of faith that is free
of self-limitation and open to the birth of Christ
in heart and mind. Amen.
Christmas (7)
Tonight the people of the world are silent, O God,
listening for the sound of love to ring out in their
hearts.
We have waited so long
hoping for our Savior,
groaning for justice,
wishing for peace.
And yet, the sounds we hear are the whispered prayers
of hostages unjustly held captive,
the explosion of the gifts of war,
the packages of death,
the mumbling of the weak and hungry,
the desperate cry of abandoned children, forgotten
grandparents, grief-stricken survivors.
Can love be born tonight, O God?
Can we alone, or together, create a song of hope
that will carry beyond the decorated walls of
overflowing sanctuaries?
Can we produce a flicker of light in the deafening
blight of evil?
Has it really been 2,000 years since you showed us how?
With
a humble birth,
a quiet, persistent ministry,
a courageous, self-giving lifestyle,
an invincible, forgiving manner,
a fearless facing of violence and corruption,
a consistent awareness of the individual in the
crowd needing special attention, a tender touch ...
and a faith that always found a place for prayer and
worship, obedience, and commitment,
you, O Christ, have made peace possible,
love real, and faith alive.
We thank you, God, for the Creative One,
the Artist of Heaven,
the One who taught us the power of poetry and prayer.
Amen.
to send us your Son.
Though your Church has waited four weeks for the coming
of Christmas,
many of us have waited the coming of Christ
for years.
Some of us have forgotten what it is we are waiting
for.
We have lost patience and turned to lesser gods that
deliver instant pleasure.
We have lost faith and begun believing in boisterous
gods to protect us -- gods of death and destruction.
We have lost hope and become cynical and hard
rather than face our fear.
Christ of compassion,
come into our hearts this Christmas.
Be born in us today.
Provide us that new life that can only come from your
Spirit:
the new life of faith that is steadfast and sure;
the new life of hope that endures beyond the feasible;
the new life of love that increases as it is given
away.
Because of our stubborn blindness,
we have waited too long for your love.
Open our eyes that we may see your love
which has waited much longer
for us. Amen.
Christmas (2)
It is the Day of Joy, O Loving God,
when our memory of your gift of life becomes vivid
and real.
The millions of paths and highways
we have chosen to follow
converge at Bethlehem where a small child brings
comfort to generations of believers.
We pause at the manger to hear a new message and
receive creative directions for the living of our
lives.
For unto us a child is born;
unto us a Son is given.
And a peace that is incomprehensible has entered the
world!
The stream of history has deviated from the integrity
of the gospel.
Our nation has witnessed the destruction of false
prophets;
our parents and grandparents smelled the stench of
death wrought by war after senseless war;
hungry and starving people have grown weary as their
desperate pleas for human compassion have gone
unheeded.
How far we have wandered from your path of
righteousness!
What great distance have we strayed from your cross
of compassion!
Comfort your people, O God,
not with cheap grace,
but with the assurance that true discipleship matters
and has impact on human suffering, loneliness, and
fear.
We come to you
because you have come to us. Amen.
Christmas (3)
The bells of Christmas ring in our ears, O Lord,
even as your love rings true in our hearts.
For unto us a child is born
and our barren lives are filled with great joy!
Unto us a Son is given
and our dark world is bathed in his light.
He takes upon himself the government of our minds
and we sense a purpose and direction in our lives.
He is our Wonderful Counselor,
the Mighty God,
the Prince of Peace,
who saves us from our self-deceit,
our desperation,
our paralyzing guilt,
our consuming grief,
our fear of death,
and our fear of life.
O God, who speaks to the humble the word of hope,
open our eyes that we may see the brilliant revelation
of the Child who was born for us all,
the one who takes away the sins of the world
and brings us life that overcomes death.
He gives us love that heals the wounds of our past.
He gives voice to our carols of joy! Amen.
Christmas (4)
O Bright and Shining God,
who comes to us in the Morning Star,
awaken our eyes to the gift of your Spirit.
Help us to see through eyes of faith
the great and glorious advent of everlasting love and universal
forgiveness.
Reach into the depths of our hearts and seize our
conviction and commitment to your word and work.
May we labor with joy in service to your Kingdom:
that the stranger to our community may be received
as a friend;
that those from faraway places may enjoy the warmth
of our homes and our hearts;
that the lonely and distressed may discover a family
who cares
so that every knee may one day bow down and every
tongue confess you as Lord and Savior.
Blessed God, we thank you for the Word made flesh,
which not only dwelled among us,
but resides within us -- where blood and bone come
together to form a human being softened by the word
of compassion,
humbled by the word of pardon,
strengthened by the hope of salvation,
and encouraged by the promise of peace.
May we be an instrument of your peace, O God, and
a disciple of your love. Amen.
Christmas (5)
Loving God, in the warmth of the virgin's womb
the Holy Child waits to be born.
In the cradle of our hearts, Jesus Christ waits to be reborn.
Is it possible, O God, that we too could experience
rebirth this night?
Is it possible that a head full of questions could
find peace on a night such as this?
Is it possible a heart burdened by the shame of
yesterday could find release from guilt, restoration
of esteem, confidence for the future?
Your messenger, Gabriel, announced to Mary that "with
God, nothing is impossible."
If this is true, Lord, then give us
faith that goes beyond fear,
belief that overcomes doubt,
hope that shines like a star in the darkest night
of our desolation.
O Wonderful Counselor, lead us by the hand through
the confusion of our lives;
Mighty God, give us power and courage to live your
love;
Everlasting Father, comfort us when we come running
to you bleeding and hurt.
O Prince of Peace, quiet the passions of this warring
world,
the conflict in our communities,
the struggle in our hearts.
May your peace restore our hope,
your presence return our joy! Amen.
Christmas (6)
O Peaceful and Quiet God,
you arrive in the stillness of the night and are
greeted by those who have been patiently waiting.
It is the fullness of time,
the acceptable time,
the eternal now,
the moment of ultimate meaning.
It is a time when your radiant light reveals our
carefully kept secrets,
our well-hidden faults,
our character blemishes,
and our desperate illusions.
It is a time to face ourselves and our past
and make important decisions about our future.
Must we continue to be the victim of carelessness,
apathy, self-centered preoccupations, ancient grudges,
destructive guilt?
Or have you created this moment for us to choose
who is to be Lord of our lives?
On this night is your power sufficient for us to
collect the courage it takes to let go of peevish
thoughts, irritating behaviors, controlling feelings,
and experience once again,
or perhaps for the first time,
that indescribable sense of release and relief that
comes when we say, "Yes!" to the gift of your Spirit?
Give wings to our timid faith that we may soar like
eagles above the valley of anguish and the ravines
of anger.
We want so much to believe in the magic of Christmas,
the possibilities of love,
the peace of mind that comes with a life of purpose
and direction.
Grant us, O God, the gift of faith that is free
of self-limitation and open to the birth of Christ
in heart and mind. Amen.
Christmas (7)
Tonight the people of the world are silent, O God,
listening for the sound of love to ring out in their
hearts.
We have waited so long
hoping for our Savior,
groaning for justice,
wishing for peace.
And yet, the sounds we hear are the whispered prayers
of hostages unjustly held captive,
the explosion of the gifts of war,
the packages of death,
the mumbling of the weak and hungry,
the desperate cry of abandoned children, forgotten
grandparents, grief-stricken survivors.
Can love be born tonight, O God?
Can we alone, or together, create a song of hope
that will carry beyond the decorated walls of
overflowing sanctuaries?
Can we produce a flicker of light in the deafening
blight of evil?
Has it really been 2,000 years since you showed us how?
With
a humble birth,
a quiet, persistent ministry,
a courageous, self-giving lifestyle,
an invincible, forgiving manner,
a fearless facing of violence and corruption,
a consistent awareness of the individual in the
crowd needing special attention, a tender touch ...
and a faith that always found a place for prayer and
worship, obedience, and commitment,
you, O Christ, have made peace possible,
love real, and faith alive.
We thank you, God, for the Creative One,
the Artist of Heaven,
the One who taught us the power of poetry and prayer.
Amen.
