Here at the end of this Advent journey, we start a new one, through Christmas and on into the pergrinatio we are called out towards.
May you be blessed by friendship and love and may you bless in return.
Happy Christmas everyone.
We are profoundly grateful to you all.
Here is a prayer written and read by our friend Mark Berry
God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be God’s people, and God will be with them and be their God.‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
In the dark of night a song rang out high above the earth
The divine reached down and stirred the air with melody
The Holy sang amongst the fields and houses
Harmonies swirling between streets and hedges
The call has gone out, the journey is done, the dance has begun.
God has come to dwell with us,
God has come to dwellin us,
God has come to make all things new.
We are called to join the dance of the new,
Turning sorrow into joy,
Pain into growth,
Fear into hope,
Tears into laughter,
Judgement into freedom,
Loneliness into family,
Anger into love,
For in the dark the dance has begun,
In the dark the old order is lost and light is born.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
God who broke the barriers of heaven and earth,
May we see you in all things, on earth and beyond.
May we hear you in all voices, in poetry and song.
May we feel you in every breath of our being
May we always be willing to give all that we have and all that we are,
to touch the world with the Christmas truth:
Emmanuel, God is with us.
As the sun begins to rise on the horizon,
The glow spreading across the land,
And the morning begins to take on colour,
Look and witness the future born to break the fast
Breath the freshness of dawn air and welcome the light
For the Son has come:
Emmanuel, God is with us.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen God’s glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from God, full of grace and truth.
May the grace of God shine on you,
May the love of Christ shine in you,
May the life of the Spirit shine through you
Amen
