Sunday, December 22, 2002
Offered by John Buchanan, Pastor

We join our voices, and our hearts, and our prayers, with countless millions of others, dear God, on this day, as we prepare to come once again to Bethlehem. As we return again to precious traditions, beautiful music, reunion with families, celebration with dear friends, our hearts brim full with gratitude. Thank you, dear God for all of it: for an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the precious gift of life itself. Thank you, dear God, for the reminder we need this year, that your love comes to us in surprising and unexpected ways, in unlikely places in our lives. Thank you, dear God, for reminding us that love, your love is the ultimate reality: not hatred, not violence, not war, but love—shown in the birth of a child long ago.

In that birth in an out-of-the way village, in a remote corner of a vast empire, O God, you spoke a word of peace and hope for the whole human family. We come to you today concerned for the world: saddened by continuing violence and the prospect of war: disappointed in our persistent distrust and willingness to create suffering for other members of the human family and for ourselves. And so we cling, O God, at Christmas, to the angel’s promise of ‘Peace on Earth, Good Will to All.’ We pray for peace. We pray for our President and his advisor’s faced with enormous decisions. We pray for leaders of nations and for the United Nations. We pray for the men and women of our armed forces.

We pray, dear God, for those whose needs are urgent this morning, and whose names, we name now, in the silence of our hearts.

And we pray for ourselves. In these days of final preparation, come to each of us with your perfect love which casts out all fear. Prepare our hearts to welcome him anew—Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord—who taught his disciples, and who bids us to pray together, saying . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church