Take me to Bethlehem
House of bread
Where the empty are filled
The poor find riches
And the rich recognise their poverty
Where all kneel and worship
And all are fed.
Song “Christ be in my waking”
A candle is lit.
I light a candle for light, sending
prayers high into the inky heavens and
dreams deep into our human soul.
We light a candle for light. May it light our way.
Psalm 72
May there be abundance of grain on the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like the vegetation of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever;
May his name produce descendants [v]as long as the sun shines;
And may people wish blessings on themselves by him;
May all nations call him blessed.
The Lord’s Prayer in our own language
Our Prayers
I pray for people and situations that are on my heart today ...
For people in lockdown, for people dealing with Covid, for people who are lonely, for people who are hungry, for staff in hospitals and care homes, for people suffering from war particularly the children, for people imprisoned for protesting about the abuse of human rights, for people suffering because of floods or heat because of climate change, for the vulnerable and those sick and dying, for the homeless, for asylum seekers and refugees, for our government to make the right decisions, and finally for the children and grandchildren who we must give a better future.
May I not fail you though I face great dangers.
Give me your peace, your wisdom and your strength. Amen
Closing Responses
When the star in the sky has gone
And the wise men have gone back to their homes
The real work of Christmas begins
To find the lost,
heal the broken,
feed the hungry
and release the prisoner. Amen
Pat Nimmo with thanks to © Janet Morley adapted
