God with us, we need your promises. In the short days of December, we are so aware of our own shortcomings, of the pressures we bear to honor your creation and each other, even when we disagree. We so easily see in others the face of an enemy rather than a sibling in Christ. We are quick to judge and slow to forgive. We are afraid – of what we are becoming, of the change we cannot ignore, of the future for our own children and grandchildren.
Our world is troubled. You call us to welcome the stranger, to care for those excluded by the economic systems that may be sustaining us, to open our eyes to our place in the confusion, to not be afraid to speak, to risk and to love.
Comfort us in this season, gracious God. Remind us that we are yours, and that you are the source of life and love. Remind us of your promises and your remarkable capacity to surprise and to exceed our expectations. Help us see the miracle of Emmanuel. Amen.
This message is excerpted from “O come, O come Emmanuel” by Catherine Malotky in the December 2019 Gather magazine. Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
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