An angel appeared to a teenage girl in a Galilean village two thousand years ago. Within two generations the New Testament Church was singing a song the angel first sang to the overwhelmed girl. Today we shall contemplate the second of the Songs of the Messiah that are found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. God comes to all of us, and when He comes, sometimes He overshadows us, as he did to Mary. Let us therefore, with confidence worship the Overshadowing God.
Pastoral Prayer
Loving God, Thou dost appear to us in many guises: in the voice of friends or strangers, in words which leap off a page as being Thy words, in events for which we see no satisfactory explanation other than that Thou hast entered into our lives in powerful if also mysterious ways. There are other times when we feel only darkness about us, and that we see no way out of the gloom. Then we sense Thy presence above the darkness, and light floods into our existence, calming our hearts and lifting our spirits. We thank Thee, O God, for constantly being with us, even if we may not seek to be constantly with Thee. Grant us better vision to perceive Thee, so that we may travel more confidently through our lives.
We acknowledge with sorrow that far too often we are focused only on our own lives, and not on our life with Thee. We fail to observe Thy laws, we put ourselves and our own interests ahead of everything else, and we act as though we are completely independent of Thee and of Thy will for each of us. Forgive us for our sins and shortcomings. Help us to turn toward Thee whenever we turn away. Teach us to forgive others for their sins against us, even as Thou dost forgive us for our sins against Thee.
We remember at this time people who find themselves in very trying circumstances: for those who have become engulfed by depression or despair; for those who shall soon die, whether or not they are aware of it; for those who must make an important decision, and they believe there are no good choices they can make; for those whose faith in Thee has been crushed by events over which they had no control, and who cannot perceive Thy loving presence with them because they are fixed on the events rather than on Thee. Bless those who seek to help others through their difficulties, those who care for the sick, those who feed the hungry or clothe the naked or offer kind words to all who feel closed off or forgotten. In this Advent season, we ask that the joy of the first Christmas may become the joy of this Christmas. We make this and all our prayers in the name of Jesus. Together we now pray as he instructed us, saying, Our Father….