Luke: Chapter 2

I Believe in Salvation

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Lord, as children, we were brought to your church and learned your ways.
As parents, we have brought our own children to your church
and taught them your ways.

We are still your children, Lord, and each of us have much yet to learn.
You have given us your Son, Lord,
a child born to a destiny that was unimaginable to Mary and Joseph.
But can any child live up to the dreams and hopes of their parents?
Have we lived up to your dreams and hopes?

We are still your children, Lord, and each of us have much yet to learn.
We ask for your grace and for your wisdom.
Open our eyes to your dreams and hopes for each of us.
Show us our destiny, the plan that you have designed for each of us.
We ask for your strength so that we can live up to your dreams and hopes.

We are still your children, Lord, and each of us have much yet to learn.
All too often we still act like children.
We squabble with each other and refuse to share the gifts
you have given so freely to us.
Remind us, Lord, of the hopes and dreams that surround the birth of a child; the anticipation of a new beginning.
We lift our lives up to you, Lord.
Like Jesus, Lord, help us to grow, to become strong.
Fill us with wisdom and grant us your grace.

Looking for a Sign (Luke 2:8-20)

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We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.

We want to see things in black and white, but often our world is full of grays.
The answer so often is, “It depends.”

You may not send us a multitude of angels in song,
and, yet, the signs of your presence are all around us.
We know that you are speaking to us
when we find ourselves in a position to help someone else,
when we realize a recurring theme in our daily encounters,
when we meet those who make the biggest difference in our lives,
and, when our ideas crystalize in ways we did not initially imagine.
We see your face in the people that we meet.
We hear your voice in the backdrop of our conversations.
We feel your touch as we embrace our family and friends.

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.
Remind us that we already know what you want us to do.
Remind us that you have given us the gifts and talents
we need to make your plan come to life here on this earth.
Nudge us when we go astray and help us see the signs you have given us.
You are with us when we open our eyes in the morning’s light.
You are with us as we make our way through our day.
You are with us as we close our eyes at night.
As you walk with us, we ask that you make your signs to us more visible.

The shepherds received your sign and glorified in what they saw.
They were wanderers, making a community among themselves.
We are your church, your followers.
We have made a community with each other.
We come together to support one another, knowing that you are with us always.
We ask you to be with those among us who need your healing touch.
We name __.

We often ask for a sign that we are doing the right thing.
We want to see things in black and white, but often our world is full of grays.
The answer so often is, “It depends.”

And yet we know that we can depend upon you.
We know that we are your children, deeply loved and uniquely cherished.
As we wait for the arrival of the infant Christ,
we use the words he taught us,
“Our Father….”