[Our 2nd Sunday of Advent worship theme was "Open the Gift of Acceptance." For the sermon, click here. Joseph is the symbol of this important gift because of how he accepted a new reality of supporting Mary who was told that she was with child of the Holy Spirit. Opening the gift of acceptance means trusting God with our current situation and accepting all people into our fellowship. Pictured above is the greeting time during yesterday's 10:30 worship service. ]
God of mercy and grace, thank
you for inviting each one of us to open the Christmas gift of acceptance. Help
us to be like Joseph who was willing to trust you through a new situation that
was about to change his life.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when you call us to invite someone to church with us.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when you call us to pray with someone.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when you call us to offer a positive word in the midst of a negative
situation.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when we feel like our lives have been turned upside down.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when we don’t receive what we think we should receive.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when what you are asking us to do is beyond what we think we can do.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when we find it difficult to let go of past hurts, painful memories, and things
we cannot change.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when you challenge our preconceived understandings of scripture or when we
have questions about our faith.
God of hope, help us to trust
you when we have given up trusting in you.
God of hope, on this 2nd
Sunday of Advent, help us to open the gift of acceptance and the gift of
trusting you in a deeper way.
We pray this in the name of
Jesus, our Emmanuel who taught us to pray together saying,
“Our Father, who art in
heaven…”
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