Introduction
I don’t know if it’s the long nights of winter, or the barren trees and bracing cold star filled skies, but I’m more aware of my longings this time of year than any other. I love poetry of all different kinds, but I’m particularly drawn to poems that express this. When do we long more or more deeply than Advent and Christmas? Christmas Eve is the crescendo of all that, the dark hours before the burst of Christmas morning. There’s such a sweet ache to it, especially when shared in communion with others longing as well. For all these reasons and so many more, our Christmas eve service is one of my favorites and I hope to see y’all there!
Grace and peace,
John
O Emmanuel by Malcolm Guite
O Come, O Come, and be our God-with-us
O long-sought With-ness for a world without,
O secret seed, O hidden spring of light.
Come to us Wisdom, come unspoken Name,
Come Root, and Key, and King, and Holy Flame.
O quickened little wick so tightly curled,
Be folded with us into time and place,
Unfold for us the mystery of grace
And make a womb of all this wounded world.
O heart of heaven beating in the earth,
O tiny hope within our hopelessness
Come to be born, to bear us to our birth,
To touch a dying world with new-made hands
And make these rags of time our swaddling bands.
Text: Luke 1: 46-55, Luke 2:1-20, John 1:9-13
A Confession from John 15 (the message)
Reader: Jesus declared he is the Real Vine and his Father is the Farmer, that every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. That if we live in him -make our home in him just as He does in us, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
Everyone: Jesus we make our home in you and you make yours in us. Make this Church good soil for the Vine to take root and the branches to bear fruit.
Reader: Jesus told us the tree will be judged by the fruit.
Everyone: Give us hands to tend the soil, hearts to endure the pruning and ears to hear the song that gives us hope.
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
