A Christmas prayer
God of glory and God of grace,
God who creates and loves us all,
God whose Holy Spirit gives us gifts for faithful living,
You come to us in a child,
Born in Bethlehem, a humble city in an occupied land,
A child whose parents fled with him for safety,
Crossing borders, becoming refugees,
A child who grew in wisdom and in years to be an adult who proclaimed great good news,
Befriended sinners,
Stood with the oppressed,
Welcomed the outcast,
Healed the sick and
Reconciled the estranged,
An adult who revealed your love and lived your love,
Shared food with those who hungered,
Blessed the peacemakers,
Offered liberation from all forms of tyranny,
Transformed conflict and
Broke down walls of division.
Jesus remained faithful to you in all things though he threatened the powers and the powerful
Who seized him, tried him, tortured him, and crucified him.
But your loving grace and power raised him from the dead. And through Jesus
You make possible forgiveness and fresh beginnings,
Life anew and life abundant.
We give thanks that Jesus remains the friend of sinners and
A companion on life’s journey,
That we might live in faith,
That we might love you, love one another, and love all your creation,
That we might do kindness, pursue justice, and seek peace,
This day and every day.
Remembering the birth of the child of Bethlehem, we give thanks, And we celebrate your love revealed in the life and death and resurrection Jesus our Savior, In whose name we pray.
Amen.
• Mark Koenig, Nancy Eng MacNeill,Teresa Stricklen and David Gambrell
The staff of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program wishes you a blessed Advent and a joy-filled Christmas. In a world broken by sin and torn by violence, we still dare to proclaim the ancient vision of peace on earth.
Feel free to use this prayer with the attribution "Presbyterian Peacemaking Program." If our Web page (www.pcusa.org/peacemaking) could be included, that would be appreciated.