Meditation/prayer based on Matthew 11:1-16

Oh God of eternal promise and hope,

 Who kept your promise of who was to come, and in these days continues to keep those promises from so long ago

We come to you seeking comfort, hoping for healing, for a renewed vision of the world in which we live.

We arrive in your sanctuary with the news of the week still shaking in our heads, the constant disruptions in our living, the depth of the issues we face and the problems we confront.

These we face every day as we seek to live out a life of faith, to remain true to the teachings of your Son, the examples of the One who sacrificed on our behalf.

For we see the same challenges of life from the stories of those days long ago.  There was violence in the rule of Herod and Pontius Pilate.  And in those years where migrant peoples were pushed from one continent to another, there was sickness, and death, and hunger.  The toxins of those days remain in our social fabric today, and we wonder, will the Messiah finally come?  Will there ever be a Savior who will help us to right our world?

And we see today that the words to John from those centuries long ago still ring true.  In our own world by our faith in the risen Christ, the sick are healed, the blind receive their sight, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised, and the poor will hear the good news.  Even as we connect to you in prayer, the miracle of the Advent transformation is taking place within us, in the house of worship.

We celebrate once again this season the coming together of our families and friends.  As school vacations begin, and work schedules adjust for the holidays, we have time to see one another once again, face to face.  Around the living room at home, or gathered here at church or at a restaurant, we can open our hearts and our lives to each other to witness your grace and peace as it reenters our lives. 

Be with us, we pray, as we continue to direct our thoughts towards your abiding peace.  Help us to keep centered on the grace that you bring to our lives, the wonder and the miracle of your healing presence.  As we walk through the stories of the coming Christ child, build in us anew a hope for what is always possible in our faith.

For we ask this in the Name of your Son, in whom all things are possible.  Amen