Today is Thursday,
January 7,
2021.
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 together.
Come let us worship and adore Christ the Lord.
Find yourself that you are in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on any word or phrase that catches your attention and let your heart simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
O Lord,
We give you thanks and we lay our gifts at your feet.
Matthew 2 verses 1 through 12.
After Jesus' birth,
Which happened in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of Herod,
Astrologers from the east arrived in Jerusalem and asked,
Where is the newborn ruler of the Jews?
We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay homage.
At this news,
Herod became greatly disturbed,
As did all of Jerusalem.
Summoning all of the chief priests and religious scholars of the people,
He asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
In Bethlehem,
In Judea,
They informed him,
Here is what the prophet has written.
And you,
Bethlehem,
Land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
Since from you will come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.
Herod called the astrologers aside and found out from them the exact time of the star's appearance.
Then he sent them to Bethlehem,
After having instructed them,
Go and get detailed information about the child.
When you have found him,
Report back to me,
So that I may go and offer homage too.
After their audience with the ruler they set out,
The star,
Which they had observed at its rising,
Went ahead of them until it came to a standstill over the place where the child lay.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
And upon entering the house they found the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and paid homage.
Then they opened their coffers and presented the child with gifts of gold,
Frankincense,
And myrrh.
They were warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
So they went back to their own country by another route.
Here are these words written by Ann Weems called the gifts of the Magi.
Oh Lord,
I'd like to go to the stable this night.
I'd run even through the dark to lay my gifts at your feet.
Lord,
Why couldn't I have been there?
I needn't have been a king,
Perhaps just a shepherd child or someone sent from the inn to check on the progress of the birth.
Or are you waiting this night in other stables for me to bring my gift?
Are you waiting for me to run even through the dark and cold of the night?
Please repeat these words.
Oh Lord,
We give you thanks and we lay our gifts at your feet.
I invite you now to hold someone before God.
Whoever is on your heart today,
Hold before God as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us.
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,
Let us go from this place proclaiming that we have seen the glory of God.
Believing that there is a light that shines in the darkest shadows,
A brightness that will never be overcome.
And may the love of the Creator,
The joy of the Spirit,
And the peace of the Christ Child be with you today and forevermore.
Amen.
Go in peace.
