Prayer for Christmas Eve Service

Come in, Come in!  O Lord of our lives, come in!

We have been waiting . . . and waiting. 

We have been decorating trees and wrapping presents and baking cookies . . . but we have been waiting for you.

Come into our world, O God. 

Come into our world amidst its sorrows and heartbreaks.  Come into our world as a baby, small and helpless, who yet carries within his hands the power to heal and to release those burdened by illness, by injury, and by loss.

Come into our world amidst its chaos and violence.  Come into our world as a child, in need of the care of others, who yet holds in his arms the potential to bring together peoples and nations, and individuals and families, and to sprinkle the seeds of peace into our midst.

Come into our world amidst our joys and celebrations.  Come into our world as one of us, one who drinks wine and shares bread with friends, who walks into all the potential of human life to brighten each moment and make of each of us the complete person we are designed to be.

We need your human presence among us, O Lord.  We need to know that our lives are shaped by yours, that our needs and our longings are yours.  We, who are created in your image, find hope and possibility when we see your image in us.

We rejoice in your eternal, creative presence among us, O God.  We know that you have been here before time and will be here after all time, and we are grateful that you bring with you the peace that will bind all peoples together in love and in joyful thanksgiving to you.

We are present to you tonight, O God, as all sorts of people.  We are married and singled, divorced and widowed, gay and straight, old and young, energetic and exhausted, healthy and hurting, hopeful and despairing, all shapes, all sizes, all colors, all backgrounds – all yours, and all saying, Come in! Come in! Come into our world! ~ as we pray in the words taught to us by the baby born on this night so long ago.


(with nods to Mary Oliver and Cloth from the Cradle)