"A Christmas Prayer"

Dr. George R. Sinclair
Pastor

December 24, 2007

       God of mercy, this is the night we have been waiting for, a night when light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Indeed the entire world waits. Soldiers standing guard, wait. Men on ships at sea, wait. Parents wait. Children wait. Young men and women, wait. The poor, wait; the sick; and, yes, the dying. We wait for one who will make things right, for one who will fix what we see as beyond repair. We wait for one who will fill emptiness with meaning and overcome futility with purpose. We wait for one who will settle old scores without shedding blood, one who will establish justice without perverting mercy, one who will avenge wrongs without violating love’s demands. We look for a savior who will redeem us from the sins we cannot hid and those we have hidden. We wait for a redeemer who will restore all that has been lost.

This is the night we have been waiting for—light shining in the darkness and darkness has not overcome it. This is the night and you show up in a child born like all others and yet like no other. We want to believe in this one born of Mary, help our unbelief. We want to hope in the one called Light of the World, overcome our despair. We want to be fully alive in him who promises baptism in his Spirit, grant us joy.

Faith doesn’t come cheaply. Hope is more than wishful thinking. And joy is greater than whatever makes us happy. Faith, hope, and joy are found only in love and love which is true love involves us in great risk, risk like the birth of a child, risk which leads to a cross.

We confess that we don’t understand the profound mystery of your eternity wrapped in swaddling cloths. We can only point to it stubbornly with the song of angels and strains of heavenly hosts singing alleluia. So once again we find ourselves on this night of nights grateful our imperfect perceptions matter little to you. You do not wait for us to understand but rather you visit us. You come bearing gifts, the greatest fit of all, your son, Jesus Christ. So keep us and all who wait in his love. Let every heart prepare him room. Let every heart rejoice on this night when Christ was born. Thank you, Lord. Bless you Lord. Grant us your peace. Amen.