And the city was quiet,
You came among us.
You crept in beside us.
And no one knew.
Only the few who dared to believe
That God might do something different.
Will you do the same this Christmas, Lord?
Will you come into the darkness of today’s world?
Not the friendly darkness
As when sleep rescues us from tiredness,
But the fearful darkness,
In which people have stopped believing
That war will end,
Or that food will come,
Or that an oppressive government will change?
Will you come into that darkness
And do something different?
To save our people from despair?
Will you come into the quietness of this city,
Into this fearful silence
When the phone has not rung,
The letter has not come,
The friendly voice no longer speaks
The doctor’s face says it all?
Will you come into that darkness,
And do something different,
Not to distract but embrace your people?
We ask this because the fullness our lives long for
Depends on us being open and vulnerable to you,
As when you came wearing nappies
And trusting human hands to hold their Maker.
When the world was dark
And the city was quiet
You came among us
You crept in beside us.
Do the same this Christmas Lord.
Amen.
READING
Isaiah 2:5: O house of Jacob, Let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Romans 13:11b, 12a : For salvation is nearer to us now… The night is far gone, the day is near.
For those who flee poverty and violence.
For those held behind fences and walls.
For those who cross desert and sea in search of freedom.
For those who are fearful of difference, the stranger and change.
For the trafficked.
For the struggle of indigenous peoples.
For the exploited land made barren by over consumption.
For the destruction of native habitats, land, ocean and sky.
For peace among nations.
Advent God, bring light to our darkness
You have called us to live by the light of faith
And to journey in hope of your promised fulfillment.
Make us ready and watchful to receive your Christ,
A lamp to our feet and a light to our path;
You are our light, the world’s hope and salvation.
Amen.
Based upon an Anglican Prayer for the lighting of the Advent Wreath
