Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas Dear Family of Love!

I hope everyone has entered in with hearts afire for the season of Christmastide. It is only 12 days long and it is easy to embrace as long as we keep focused on what truly matters.  Jesus is calling us to enter the season without fear, with compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy. Jesus wants us to be fully present and not into presents. Jesus wants us to remember the best things come in small packages and maybe no packages at all. Jesus reminds us to keep it simple in all ways. So let's get back to the manger and start anew and enter this season and all seasons simply and with newness each and every nano second of the day. 

Tonight let us light one simple candle and enter into the season with love, joy, hope, and peace, simply and reverently.  This blog is designed for those who didn't make it to church and if you should need evening prayer. 

Christmas

The Word was made flesh, * alleluia, alleluia.
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
And dwelt among us:
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
V. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, alleluia:
R. God is the Lord; he has shined upon us, alleluia.

Merry Christmas! I love you! My wish for you all wherever you may be is this: May God's light like the star in the East shine through you as a loving beacon of love, joy, peace, and hope to our family members throughout the world. May our hearts be a manger where we meet God in humility and humanity and may we respect one another where we are and as we are. I Love you! May you feel God's presence as a present to you and yours.

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 98

Cantate Domino

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, *
for he has done marvelous things.

2 With his right hand and his holy arm *
has he won for himself the victory.

3 The Lord has made known his victory; *
his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

5 Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

6 Sing to the Lord with the harp, *
with the harp and the voice of song.

7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
shout with joy before the King, the Lord.

8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
the lands and those who dwell therein.

9 Let the rivers clap their hands, *
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
when he comes to judge the earth.

10 In righteousness shall he judge the world *
and the peoples with equity.

Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news,

who announces salvation, 

who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,

together they sing for joy;

for in plain sight they see

the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

you ruins of Jerusalem;

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.

The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis

Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *

to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *

whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *

and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12)

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

[For to which of the angels did God ever say,

"You are my Son;

today I have begotten you"?

Or again,

"I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son"?

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

"Let all God's angels worship him."

Of the angels he says,

"He makes his angels winds,

and his servants flames of fire."

But of the Son he says,

"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."

And,

"In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands;

they will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like clothing;

like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed.

But you are the same,

and your years will never end."]

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness we pray for all of us who are going through new normals of any kind. 

God of unchanging love and steadfastness we pray for all  of us who are grieving losses and heart break, let us always remember you are our soft place to fall and all we need to do is to rely upon you when we go through trials and depths of despair.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness. we pray  that we will become soft places for the least of these to fall.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, we give thanks for the birth of your son Jesus who became the change in the world you wanted to see.  Help us to accept change and to go with the flow and let go and let you lead us into our new lives as you have crafted them to be.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, we pray that we may live authentically and be true to ourselves.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, we pray that all relationships that are strained that divisions may be healed and restored.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness , we pray for healing of our hearts,bodies, minds, and spirits and all those who are ill.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, we pray for peace in the world among peoples and nations.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, we offer our prayers and thanksgivings for ourselves and on behalf of others remembering especially _______________________

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, may we let our tears flow if they must and may they cleanse and heal our hearts and turn our hearts and spirits into joy.

God of unchanging love and steadfastness, may we sew seeds of hope, joy, peace, and love  and may we offer our prayers in the Name of Jesus your son who is our Redeemer, healer, reconciler,  teacher, friend and brother. Amen. 

Merry Christmas Dear Ones! I celebrate and give thanks for you this night and always.

Enjoy your time with your beloved ones. It's check in time with people you haven't seen .

With love, peace and blessings !

Sara