When God is a child there’s joy in our song

The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong

And none shall be afraid.

That, of course, is the refrain from the hymn, Hope is a Star. It came to mind this morning as I sat blankly in front of the screen trying to figure out how to be refreshing with this message. Something in it is very soothing – as if to say, “There’s no pressure, Eric, because God will still be God on God’s own terms. God chose to grow with you before you chose to grow with God.”

So I have been mulling over that little epiphany for a while. And instead of a “Not So Idle Thought” this week, I would like to offer you a prayer for Christmas.

Just as I pray without notes in church, off the cuff as they would say, this is being written in one shot. I’ll leave it up to Agnes, my trusty administrative assistant to fix the typos!

Holy and loving God

Spirit of creation before there was anything

What a gift it is to receive you into our hearts

Small and innocent as a child, so that we can begin…

…Begin to understand you

…Begin to trust ourselves to grow

…Begin to allow your word to us to mature

…Begin to see ourselves as being part of a better world –

Where those, like children who are in need are fed

Where those, like children who are exposed are protected

May we, this season, sit and actively wait for you to be born into our lives, so  that we may be born-again to a progressive message and life of unity

Free from prejudice and malice and full of grace and compassion

How beautiful you are as a Child, O loving God

May our hearts be tender enough to accept you, as a mother accepts her newborn

This we pray in the name of the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel – God With Us, the One who leads us to Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Humankind – Jesus the Christ.

AMEN.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, wherever they may be.

And may God bless you deeply, and everyone you touch.

Eric