Christmas Grace (A Prayer)

Gracious Father,

We are so prone to run down the wrong path,
to listen to the wrong voice,
to act on the wrong motives.
And we are no less prone to attempt to cover it up,
to justify ourselves,
to dress up our selfishness in fine clothes,
to have the appearance of godliness.

Father You are not fooled.
You see right through us.
You see our guilt, our shame.
You see it for what it is.
You know its cost.
You know what justice demands of it.

But You do not treat us as our sins deserve.
In fact, what You did was the opposite of what we deserved. You became one of us.
The Creator became the created.
Not to bring judgement, but to bring grace;
not to collect the cost, but to pay the cost.
You came that we might see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and believe in our hearts that You are both just and merciful. That we can trust Your offer of grace because it is offered on account of Your love for Your Son,
the life that He lived,
the wrath that He endured on the cross,
and the glory You wish to give Him.
We can trust Your grace precisely because we have nothing to do with it,
no way to pay for it,
and no way to justify ourselves for being given it.
It is a perfect act of one way love.

As we approach Christmas Father, may that grace, that willingness to give life where there was death,
to bring healing where there was pain,
to give hope where there was none,
and to restore what was lost,
may that not just stop in us and with us,
but flow out from us to those around.

As we remember how You came to us, and that You are coming again, may we remember that the same Spirit who was at work in Jesus lives in us, so that we may continue to incarnate Your Son’s grace and truth to this world. That this is the work You have called us to do.
To be the good Samaritan.
To be the son who joins You in going out to find and welcome the lost son.
To be lights in the dark.
To bring the good news that Your kingdom has come,
that Jesus conquered sin and death,
and that any who come to Him will be welcomed.
Not as prisoners, or strangers, or refugees, or even as welcome guests, but as Your very sons and daughters.

Take our hearts, they are Yours.
Renew our minds so that we have the mind of Christ.
Accept our repentance,
gratitude,
love,
and praise.

May we be learning to become less so that You can become more,
to decrease that You may increase,
to lose our life in You so that we can find it,
to know that joy, peace, rest, and love are ours because of Jesus.