Third Sunday of Advent

This is a prayer I wrote for the Christmas special at NorthHaven Church today:

Holy God,

Once again,
the angels invite us
to come,
behold,
and adore.

Now may your spirit of peace
quiet our minds,
prepare our hearts,
and open our eyes
this Christmas season
that we may see
the beauty of the Savior
as if for the very first time.

And then, as we run to Bethlehem in joy
to worship the newborn King,
may we do so
knowing that the tiny arms
that reached out to Mary
are the same arms that were stretched out
to redeem the world;

And the song that the angels sang
is but a shadow of the one
that all creation will sing
in the world to come:

Gloria in excelsis Deo,

Glory,
Glory,
Glory to God in the highest!

Amen