Advent, Day 14

Isaiah 12:2-6; Amos 9:8-15; Luke 1:57-66


Holy One,
We carry the weight of pain and sadness. We suffer with illness, broken relationships, hurtful memories, and the loss of loved ones. We have moments of loneliness and self-doubt, moments when we are overwhelmed by stress or hardship. We bear one another’s burdens as we pray for those in our community and those in our lives who are undergoing difficult times. Help us to turn our concerns over to you, gracious God, that by trusting in you we might be released from our burdens.

Christ, Prince of Peace,
You came to a broken world, a world divided by the fences and walls that we build to protect us from things that scare us. Help us to see that the people on the other side of our fences and walls are your beloved children, just as we are. Help people on both sides of every wall, fence, and barrier, from the fence separating Mexico and the U.S. to the walls dividing Palestine from Israel to the demilitarized zone that splits North and South Korea to seek the peace of Christ that passes all understanding. Come, God, and bring freedom to this world that is enslaved by inequality, oppression, hatred, and violence.

Emmanuel, free us from all those obstacles that prevent us from seeking you or feeling your presence. Free us from the barriers that divide us that we might be one in Christ. Amen.