Whenever
you hear the words: God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of
the Messiah
Please
respond with: We pray for peace, for justice, for new
life.
God,
you invite into this time of preparation, of waiting, of hoping.
We
talk about the Prince of Peace, but we live in a world of violence.
Every
day our news feeds have stories of threats and attacks,
bombs
in the Middle East, active shooters on university campuses,
promises
to register those who are different than us.
We
need a dose of peace in our world today.
God
of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah
We
pray for peace, for justice, for new life.
God,
you invite us to live as citizens of the Kingdom.
You
invite us to a place and time where justice is the rule,
where
there is good news for the poor and liberty for the oppressed.
But
that is not the world where we live.
The
gap between the rich and the poor gets wider and wider.
The
powerful find new ways to enslave the oppressed.
The
weeping of the broken-hearted grows louder and louder.
We
look forward to the year of your favour,
the
promised justice that brings Shalom.
God
of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah
We
pray for peace, for justice, for new life.
God,
in the busy-ness of shopping and baking and decorating,
you
ask us to pause,
to
listen for angels bearing surprising news,
to
look around and see the wonders hiding in plain sight,
to
remember what it is we are preparing for, what we wait for.
In
the middle of a hectic season, we look for a respite, a time of calm.
God
of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah
We
pray for peace, for justice, for new life.
God
who is love.
In
this season of preparation we pause to join with hearts around the
world singing songs of praise,
sharing
the wonders of life, shouting thanksgivings for the blessings of life
...time
of silence...
God
who is love.
In
this season of preparation we pause to join with hearts around the
world singing songs of lament,
sharing
the struggles of life, shedding tears for the bitterness of life
...time
of silence...
God
who is active in the world, God who is changing the world,
we
place our lives in you hands as we serve and wait and watch.
God
of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah
We
pray for peace, for justice, for new life.
So
be it. Amen.
For many years I have wondered why we write prayers that say we are waiting for the birth of Jesus - just as this prayer has done - "God of Peace, as we wait for the birth of the Messiah"
ReplyDeleteWe are not waiting for the birth of the Messiah. We are celebrating the birth of the Messiah - a birthday celebration. He has come and he has fulfilled the will of the Father for him.
I think that liturgically we are preparing for the birth and marking a birth that has already happened.
ReplyDeleteEach year the cycle begins anew, even while we wait for the time that the cycle will be completed and the Kingdom will be in fullness and the will of God is actually fulfilled.