Christmas Pack #8

Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of Christ

Table of Contents

WORSHIP AIDS
An Invocation
A Prayer of Confession
Another Prayer of Confession
A Litany on Remembering
An Offeratory Prayer
A Prayer of Dedication
Las Posadas

Preparing To Celebrate the Birth of Christ

WORSHIP AIDS

These Worship Aids have been prepared for use in a pre-Advent (probably in October or November) worship service around the theme "Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of Christ." They may also be useful in preparing for the Sunday before Christmas, Christmas Eve, or Christmas morning services.

You are encouraged to adapt tbese for your use as you deem appropriate. They are intended to be suggestive of the kinds of elements you may want to include.

Be sure to look at other parts of the CHRISTMAS PACKET, especially the Activity Resource Guides, for other suggestions and resources.

An Invocation

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as a babe in the manger, may with sure confidence receive him as Lord of our lives and all we possess; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, who is Mother and Father to us all, now and forever. AMEN.

A Prayer of Confession

O God, we confess that we have not given much thought to the long range effects of the "good life" we enjoy. We want to learn and change, we want to share your bounty with all this world. But we are afraid, really, to look at the damage. Caught between our blind hope that "things are not really so bad," and fear that the damage is irreparable, we become so frustrated we close our eyes and our minds. Is it too late, O God, for us to deal adequately with all our willful and destructive patterns of consumption? Even if we do begin to be more responsible stewards, have we any hope of bequeathing a living and livable world to our grandchildren? We confess our sin. Without You we are lost. Help us, we pray in Jesus' name. AMEN.

(from St. Philips Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas)

Another Prayer of Confession

God of our ancestors, God of our lives, God of the full and the hungry: We confess that we hear your call to sacrifice as did our ancestor Abraham, yet we fail to respond faithfully. Sacrifice disturbs us and makes us uncomfortable, for we live in a society which promotes I I getting" instead of "giving". Help us to face up to ourselves and to risk sacrifice for your sake and the sake of our brothers and sisters.

Spare us from self centeredness, selfishness, and greed, so that we might give ourselves to others and, thus, give ourselves to you. AMEN.

(WORSHIP RESOURCE GUIDE II, Task Force on World Hunger, Presbyterian Church in the U.S.)

A Litany on Remembering

ALL: O God, who in the fullness of time sent your Son Jesus to live among us so that we would know with certainty your will for us: Guide us now as we prepare to celebrate his coming.

LEADER: When we make our family plans for Christmas,