Good morning.
Today is Tuesday,
December 22,
2020.
O Lord,
Let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to God,
The Three-in-One,
Creator,
Redeemer,
And Sustainer.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now,
And will be forever.
Amen.
Come,
Let us sing to the Lord.
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Remind yourself that you're in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on a word or phrase that catches your attention.
Let yourself simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace.
We have two readings today.
The first is Jeremiah 33 verses 14 through 16.
The days are surely coming,
Says the Lord,
When I will bestow on Israel and Judah all the blessings I promised them.
In those days,
And at that time,
I will raise up a righteous branch from the line of David,
Who will bring justice and integrity to the land.
In those days,
Judah will be safe,
And Jerusalem will be secure.
They will call the land.
The Lord is our justice.
And Micah 5 verses 2 through 5.
As for you,
Bethlehem and Judah,
Says the Lord,
As small as you are among Judah's clans,
From you will come a ruler for me over Israel,
One whose goings out are from times long past,
From ancient days.
But God will give them over to their enemies until the time when she who is in labor has given birth.
Then the remnant of the ruler's sisters and brothers will return to the children of Israel.
The ruler will rise up to shepherd them in the strength of the Lord by the power of the name of the Lord their God.
They will live in security.
For now the ruler's greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
They will say,
This at last is the one who will be our peace.
Please repeat these words.
Glory to God in the highest.
And on earth,
Peace.
I invite you now to hold someone before God and hold yourself before God.
As we hear these words of blessing written by Jan Richardson called a blessing for waiting.
Who wait for the night to end.
Bless them.
Who wait for the night to begin.
Bless them.
Who wait in the hospital room.
Who wait in the cell.
Who wait in prayer.
Bless them.
Who wait for news.
Who wait for the phone call.
Who wait for a word.
Who wait for a job,
A house,
A child.
Bless them.
Who wait for one who will come home.
Who wait for one who will not come home.
Bless them.
Who wait with fear.
Who wait with joy.
Who wait with peace.
Who wait with rage.
Who wait for the end.
Who wait for the beginning.
Who wait alone.
Who wait together.
Bless them.
Who wait without knowing what they wait for or why.
Bless them.
Who wait when they should not wait.
Who wait when they should be in motion.
Who wait when they need to rise.
Who wait when they need to set out.
Bless them.
Who wait for the end of waiting.
Who wait for the fullness of time.
Who wait emptied and open and ready.
Who wait for you.
Oh,
Bless.
We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray.
Our Father which art in heaven.
Eternal God,
Earth Maker,
Pain Bearer,
Life Giver,
Source of all that is and all that shall be.
Not only Father but Mother of us all.
May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.
May the way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world.
May your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
May your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another forgive us.
In times of temptation and test strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love now and forever.
Amen.
And now my friends may the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you today.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Go in peace.
