Written by Rev. Kelly Jane Caesar
At Christmas we celebrate the incarnation:
the Word made flesh; God taking on human flesh – Jesus as fully human and fully Divine.
Our Christmas Prayer this evening moves through our bodies,
for at Christmas we celebrate God taking on a human body.
Sit comfortably. Ground your feet on the earth.
Shut eyes. Rest in the darkness.
Let us pray.
Creator God, thank you for the nurturing earth beneath our feet.
As plants are nurtured in the dark earth, we too grow in the darkness.
Thank you for those times this year of hard growth:
Those moments of darkness that forced us to look anew at our world.
As we bring our awareness to our legs, we thank you for the places we have traveled this year.
You walk with us through the valleys and low times of our lives, as well as the joyous mountaintops.
Merciful God, you provide manna in the wilderness, nourishing us with living water as we move through our lives. As we bring our awareness to our bellies, we thank you for all you have given to nourish us.
As we bring our awareness to our lungs, breathing in and out, we thank you God for the breathe of life. As we breath in the Holy Spirit and breath out your love, we remember all those we have loved this year. We especially hold in our hearts those who have died. While they celebrate Christmas in heaven with you, our hearts long for them here. We breathe in your spirit and breathe out your love.
As we bring our awareness to our hands, each finger so carefully made, we marvel at the many miracles you work through these hands. We try, O God, to be your hands and feet in the world. Thank you for using us to hold the hand of one in need, to pack bags of food, knit hats and scarves for children, to hold open the door for the next person, to share in so many acts of kindness. What marvelous hands you made!
As our awareness comes to our shoulders, we let our shoulders slide down our backs, resting as you called us to rest every sabbath. You are here, born among us, come to save us. Help us to let go of the tension we hold in our shoulders and trust in your loving embrace.
As our awareness comes to our face, each one uniquely crafted and changing from year to year, we contemplate the face of the baby Jesus: born as the light of the world:
With his mouth he will speak words of grace and challenge.
With his ears he will hear words of condemnation, words of harm,
But also words of promise, words of hope.
With his eyes he will look at lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, addicts, wealthy, poor, women, men, outcasts, and everyday folks…in his eyes each one will see a profound love, a love that says,
“yes, you are a child of God.”
Thank you Lord for coming to dwell among us, taking on human flesh to show us love.
Praise be your name! Amen.
Open your eyes, look about and see the children of God.
If you are able, stand and turn to your neighbor and bless this fellow child of God by saying:
“God Bless You” – saying it with your mouth and your eyes – say it with your whole body.
God bless you.
When you hear the music, come back to your seat.