Prayer

O God of new beginnings,
Today, we celebrate your light shining into darkness.
Your birth is worthy of our time and reflection.
The incarnation was a beautiful, unexpected step in your great plan of redemption.
Help us to feel the weight and significance of your stepping into human history,
Growing as a child,
Living with limitations,
Feeling what we feel,
Subjecting yourself to discomfort and pain.
From this, we know that you are sympathetic, that you understand our trials.
We pray that your gracious humility would draw us into a deeper love for you.

Immanuel, we ask that you breathe renewed life into our dusty souls.
We are a people full of longing and groaning.
Push back the darkness of our pain and fears.
May the reminder of your birth awaken hope in our hearts and minds.
May the joys we experience today point us to our greatest joy, your loving forgiveness.
Let the work you began through the incarnation continue in our heart,
Our home,
Our city, 
Our country, 
And into all the world.
Amen.