Advent Crash

I had the best of intentions. I even managed to keep it together until one week before Christmas. Then I realized that it was only one week before Christmas. It felt a lot like that moment when, after running off a cliff and through thin air for several yards, Wile E. Coyote looks down, realizes that he's run off a cliff, and goes plummeting down, leaving a terrified thought bubble in his wake and creating a coyote-shaped crater at the bottom of the ravine. All of a sudden I realized that I needed to write prayers, write a sermon, clean my apartment, finish my shopping, send all of my Christmas cards, make food for three upcoming events, prepare for my trip, and get everything finished for the rest of 2012. Panic set in. And instead of attempting eloquent prayers on my blog, I prayed a lot of, "God, HELP!" and saved all of my theological language for worship.

So, here I am on Christmas Eve Eve, six days behind on sharing prayers with you. My apologies. I wish I were the sort of person who could keep absolutely everything going under pressure. But I'm not. I'm a person who juggles as much as possible at once and occasionally drops something. This got dropped. I am sorry for that.

In lieu of prayers for the last six days, which I just don't have in my head after three drafts toward a Christmas Eve sermon, I will offer you this, my Prayer for Candlelighting for worship tomorrow:

God, our Light,

We are amazed that you have come in Christ to dwell with us.

The radiance of your presence dazzles us

as it breaks through the darkness of the world.

Bring the spark of your Spirit to live in our hearts,

Driving away the shadows of doubt and sin.

That we may show forth your glory

Not only today, as we celebrate your birth among us,

But throughout our lives.

Let us bear this light forth into the world,

That, through us, you might kindle the flame of your presence throughout the world,

And inspire all creation to serve Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Amen.