Friday, December 14, 2012

A Christmas prayer for Connecticut... and for all of us

Come, thou long expected Jesus! Born to set thy people free...

Free from sin.  Free from fear.  Free from anguish and devastation.  Free from pain and suffering.  Free from mourning.  Free from the insanity and cruelty that so often defines the human condition.

Free to pray.  Free to love.  Free to wish.  Free to be overwhelmed with anger at senseless violence.  Free to feel joy in spite of devastation.  Free to believe in a God who is in control despite whatever chaos we find ourselves in.  Free to disagree about a solution to this awful problem.  Free to focus our efforts on prayer.

Prayer for salvation.  Prayer for wisdom for us, and wisdom for our leaders.  Prayer for the mourners.  Prayer for people who find themselves so empty that they dwell on the idea of destroying the lives of others.  Prayer for the lost.

"Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our peace in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to they glorious throne."

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