NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 12/23

 

 

A little background...

 

Christmas is just a day away! At this time of year in the prayer of the church, there are special introductory verses sung at Evening Prayer, each naming a particular "title" of the Lord whose coming again we await, each verse beginning with "O...." We are familiar with these special verses because they constitute the lyrics of the 7 verses of the well known Advent hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!"   (More info here!)

 

In the last week of Advent, Night Prayer here has taken its lead from these "O antiphons," the seventh of which is "O, come Emmnuel!"  Keep in mind that "Emmanuel" means, "God is with us!")

 

Come, Emmanuel, and be true to your name:
    be our God-with-us!

Be our God-with-us in war:
    and show us the path to peace...

Be our God-with-us in every joy
    and show yourself its source...

Be our God-with-us in our grief
    and lead us through darkness to light...

Be our God-with-us in our loneliness
    and wrap your arms around us in warmth...

Be our God-with-us in our hopes and dreams
    and teach us to trust
        that we will have what we truly need...

Be our God-with-us when we fail you
    - and our neighbor and ourselves:
        forgive us and mend us with your mercy...

Be our God-with-us in weakness:
    be the strength we need but cannot find...

Be our God-with-us in the Church:
    in the power of your Spirit lead us to truth...

Be our God-with-us in our heart of hearts
    and teach us to long for all that is yours to give...

Come, Emmanuel, and be true to your name:
    Be our God-with-us this Christmas...
    Be our God-with-us in the new year before us...

We rejoice even now 

    on the eve of Christmas Eve

for at the end of all our days 

    you will come, again and be God-with-us, 

        for all eternity...  

 

Protect us, Lord, while we're awake

and watch over us while we sleep

that awake, we might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

 

Amen.

 

Emmanuel by Tim Manion

 

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