the word made flesh. day 1

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer:
Almighty God, who came to us long ago in the birth of Jesus Christ, be born in us anew today by the power of your Holy Spirit.  We offer our lives as home to you and ask for grace and strength to live as your faithful, joyful children always.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants)

Psalm for the Week: Psalm 85

Scripture for the Day: John 1:1-14

Reading for Reflection:

Incarnating

by  J. Barrie Shepherd

 

Becoming

putting on

clothing oneself

assuming flesh

bearing the bone and blood

mortality that bears us all

through what we call

for better or worse

this life

how did he do it?

Was it like

climbing

clumsy

into

heavy clanking armor

slipping on

a skin-tight wet suit

taking on oneself a body-cast

of stiff unyielding clay?

Or

was there more of

taking off

a shedding

of the iridescent skin

of fair eternity

a love-filled

laying to one side

of glory, majesty and power

before the naked plunge into the

depths to seek a treasure long encrusted

by the sifting sands of night?

(Weavings, Volume XXVI, Number 1)

And God ripped His Heart from His very chest and He transplanted that Heart into one like us, wrapping it in flesh and bones and giving Him a face and a name.  And God's Heart lived with us.  He walked with us, talked with us, laughed, and cried with us and we saw what God's Heart looked like…it was pumping with the blood of grace and truth.  (from John 1:1-14 JLB)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Song for the Week: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set our people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
 
Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone,
By thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Closing Prayer:
Come, Lord Jesus!
     You are my righteousness.  You are my goodness, the cause and the reason for goodness.  You are my life and the light of life.  You are my love and all my loving.  You are the most noble language I can ever utter, my words and all their meaning, my wisdom, my truth, and the better part of myself.  Amen. (Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin Jr.)