Deus Misereatur

  (This is the Invocation I will use at our Christmas Eve Service tonight) This night, O Lord, we celebrate and meditate. We are here to bask in the light of your coming, to revel in your incarnation. And we are here to open ourselves to you, that you would have your way with us. “Come, thou Long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free. From our fears and sins release us. Let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art. Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.” But we are here recognizing that some may find this season hard. Grief at the loss of loved ones, at the loss of livelihood, at the loss of health and independence. Others find this season difficult because they’re working at the hospital, out on patrol, on call for fire emergencies, or deployed far away from their families. For them we pray you to preserve them, fill them with the satisfaction of knowing that they’re not forgotten, and that they’re engaged...

LORD GOD , the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, who has broken into the darkness of our lives, coming to our rescue in person; in person as a child born for us, as a son given to us: and in coming to our rescue now the people who once walked in darkness have seen a great light, and those who once dwelt in the land of the shadow of deep darkness, upon them a light has shown! We confess our obstinacy and sheer knuckleheaded impiousness. We have followed too much the ruses and innovations of our own hearts, by doing those things we knew we shouldn’t, and not doing the good things we knew we were supposed to. In truth, in more incidents than we can count, we allowed our pride and pleasure to twist our relationships and warp our actions. O God, what a mess we are!  … [ silence for personal confession ]... In spite of what we are, you have promised that if we confess our sins, that you –faithful and just – will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and that the blo...