Thursday, December 22, 2022

Christmas Prayer 2022

God of Hope,
sometimes hope is scarce.
Soaring inflation tightens our budgets
Flu and COVID and RSV strain our health system
Our daily news so often brings despair.
As Christmas comes round again,
help us see the hope found in a baby,
a baby who will change, renew, revitalize our lives and our world.

God of Peace, tonight we mark the birth of one called “Prince of Peace”
He is born again into a world where we hear of mass shootings,
and warfare in Ukraine, and Yemen, and too many other places,
and domestic violence shelters full to the brim,
and people on our streets struggling with poverty, and health, and addiction.
Where is the Peace?
As Christmas comes round again,
help all of us see how peace and justice are possible
transform us to be people who actively work to make them grow around us,
so that we can echo the angel song of “Peace on earth, goodwill to all”

God of Joy,
sometimes Joy is absent.
When worry and stress take over our lives,
when there is an empty spot at the table,
when grief is still raw,
when we are afraid,
it is hard to sink into the joy of the Christmas season.
As Christmas comes round again,
remind us of the joy that goes deeper than happiness,
the joy of knowing that You walk with us, that You will always be with us,
the joy that comes with an abiding sense that somehow, someday, all will be well again.

God of Love,
lovingly you break into our lives, sharing all that we do and are and will be.
You challenge, command, convince us to live lives guided by love,
love for family, for friend, for stranger, for enemy, for neighbour.
Where we miss the chance to act lovingly, forgive us,
and move us to be better next time.
As Christmas comes round again,
fill us with the dream of a world where love is the universal rule of life,
fill us with the love that casts out fear
and may that love overflow from our hearts onto everyone we meet,
so that, as people of love, we can help build a renewed, revitalized world

God of Birth,
tonight we gather to celebrate a birth that happened long ago,
the birth of a child laid in a manger
But tonight we also celebrate births that happen everyday:
we sing praises for hope born anew in the midst of despair,
we watch as peace is born in the middle of violence and struggle and disparity,
we listen as joy is born afresh in the broken-hearted,
we are overcome with emotion as love is born time and time again,
overcoming fear and distrust and hatred,
we stand in the glow as tiny sparks give birth to a light that warms and illuminates the wonders of life.
For all the births we celebrate this night we offer prayers of thanksgiving and praise
Amen.


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