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: Philippians 2:1-13
Reading for Reflection:
This Word which created the world, this reason
which controls the order of the world, has become a person and with our own
eyes we saw Him (John 1:14). (The Gospel of John by William
Barclay)
While
God does not ask any of us to bring Christ into the world as literally as did
Mary, God calls each of us to become a Godbearer through whom God may enter the
world again and again. (The Godbearing Life by Kenda Creasy Dean
and Ron Foster)
God
presents himself to us little by little. The whole story of salvation is the story of
the God who comes.
It is
always he who comes, even if he has not yet come in his fullness. But there is indeed one unique moment in his
coming; the others were only prepar- ations and announcement.
The hour of his coming is the Incarnation.
The
Incarnation brings the world his presence.
It is a presence so complete that it overshadows every presence before
it.
God is
made human in Christ. God makes himself
present to us with such a special presence, such an obvious presence, as to
overthrow all complicated calculations made about him in the past.
“The
invisible, intangible God has made himself visible and tangible in Christ.”
If
Jesus is truly God, everything is clear; if I cannot believe this, everything
darkens again. (The God Who Comes
by Carlo Carretto)
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.)
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.)
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