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Today’s Reflection
JESUS, CHILD OF GOD, we welcome you now. Long have we waited for you.
Our cluttered minds and our fettered hearts yearn for the freedom you bring.
Jesus, Child of God, release us from the barriers that keep us from hearing your voice in our world today.
Slow down our frantic, busy minds and activities so that we can “find our rest in you.”
Jesus, Child of God, you are our strength, our hope, our comfort, and our consolation. You are, indeed, the hope of the world.
Send your strength and healing to every broken place, every despondent heart.
Jesus, Child of God, you are our desire, our joy, our hunger, our longing. . . . We desire your peace and your presence in our hungering world and our longing hearts.
Jesus, Child of God, let us welcome you with holy hospitality during this season of Advent.
May we prepare a place within our hearts and our lives for your loving presence. Amen.
– Beth A. Richardson
Child of the Light
Adapted from pages 17-18 of Child of the Light: Walking through Advent and Christmas by Beth A. Richardson. Copyright © 2005 by Beth A. Richardson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question
Pray today’s prayer. Share your thoughts.
Today’s Scripture
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14, NRSV
This Week: Pray for love. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.
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This week we remember: John (December 27).
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Sponsored by Upper Room Ministries ®. Copyright © 2018 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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In order to continue receiving Upper Room Daily Reflections after January 1, 2019, please confirm your subscription here.
15 Comments
Still us, O Holy One – thank You for redeeming us, lost sheep.
Sending the warmest of Christmas morning blessings to my family here at UR.
Christ is the reason for the season!
Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas!
Blessings!
Christmas Blessings to you too Jill and to all at the UR. It’s my first Christmas at my hew house – very different but I’m trying to make things very nice for my kids.
It’s also the first Christmas that my ex will meet up with the kids today- he asked them to get together yesterday of course without consulting me- he never talks to me- it will be very hard for me. My son has no time off of work except for today so I assume that is why he is doing this but it makes me sad. I never envisioned this but I know I must accept it and move on –
Sorry to express this today- a day where we are joyful in welcoming our Savior.
It sure takes away from “all is calm, all is bright”. You’ll be o.k. though. Merry Christmas and love to you and yours.
Thank you Connie – merry Christmas to you and your husband as well. No white Christmas here in Chicago – but safer for travelers and no shoveling for us!
Bless you.
Prayers for you today, Lou. May the peace and beauty of Christ’s birth wrap around you all day. At least your children’s father is demonstrating to your children that they are important to him at Christmas time but it sure is poor etiquette to spring it on you and them at the last minute, like an after-thought. Thank goodness your children have your love and consistency and considerable strength!. Blessings.
Thank you Andrea- Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your family-thank you for your kind words – I try to be there always for them.
Merry Christmas to all – Lou, God be with you and comfort you in your sad space and joy & peace in the good moments.
Thank you Sara- I made a fire and read a book while they were gone- it was very different – I could tell my son was worried about me so I kept up a good smile- I never want them to feel like they have to take care of me. Blessings to you on this Christmas Day evening-
Last nights’s Christmas Eve service was full of music, Old and New Testament readings about the coming and birth of Jesus, and a message that spoke of belief and Christ in each believer. A candle lit singing of Silent Night in English by the congregation and in German by the choir director ended the service.
God’s love came down to us and is with each and every believer. We are asked to spread the GOOD NEWS. Thank You, Lord for coming, teaching, healing, saving, and redeeming us. You are very much needed in our lives. Thank You, for letting, urging us to lean on You.
Fresh snow yesterday and last night and it’s a white Christmas. A wonderful Christmas meal will be enjoyed today. Hopefully a ride in the countryside to
two mountains.
I enjoyed the posts telling of Christmas at your house . No matter how w do it
Christ is there. Thank You, Lord.
Growing up and when my children were younger, we went to church Christmas Eve, often involved in pageants, left cookies and milk for Santa,
and opened presents on Christmas morning. Breakfast followed and there was a wonderful Christmas dinner.
It’s breakfast time on Christmas day, may your day be full of blessings, Christ’s love and peace.
Lou , your faith has carried you through a very tough time, and will enable you to handle this day as well. While the manner in which your ex has arranged this meeting leaves a lot to be desired, that he wants to see his children is a blessing.
God has helped me through the loss of my spouse, the mother of my children,, and tough financial times. Have no idea where I would be without God’s help.
Thank you Robert- and thank you for the reminder- God is near. He carries us through many tough times. Thank you and Blessings to you and your family on this Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas everyone, may peace, good will, and joy reign for all today as we celebrate Jesus’ birth.
I walked on the path around our pond yesterday and, with the sun out and no wind, it was quite wonderful. It had snowed just enough to add a sparse sprinkling of white to the landscape. Two men passed a hockey puck back and forth on the ice. The tall native prairie grasses glowed warm golds and ambers in the afternoon sun on the west side. I thought of how the Light of Christ shines radiantly on us in the darkness, guiding us through difficult times. In the woods on the east side, the dark lines of oak trees wove together in a beautiful design and copper leaves covered the ground. I walked out on the pond to look at a critter’s house constructed from leaves, grass, and twigs all packed together around some slender willow trees poking through the ice. It was three feet tall and and at least three feet in diameter, and looked very sturdy and warm. Christ shelters us in the winter of our lives. As I walked, I thanked God for the blessings and beauty of these holy days and I thought of my UR friends, for whom I pray and wish a most blessed Christmas.
Merry Christams greetings one and all!!
Lou, I feel your pain personally, although my daughter spends Christmas with me and my family, she will leave this Saturday to spend New Year’s with her father and his family. I miss her but I am aware that this is very important to her and his family.
By the way Robert, she and I will make her grandmother’s favorite cookies for her to take as a gift. She is from Germany and I was wondering if you or Erich have a recipe for thumbprint cookies filled with jam (in thumbprint portion). I have recipes, but if you have a German oneI would be forever in your debt.
Love and peace to all UR family
Thank you Julie always for your prayers- God will help you through as well- my children spent a total of two hours gone with him so it was ok- and Luke many have said at least he showed that he wanted to see them and he gave them gifts- blessings to you this day and over the new year time that your daughter will be away- I hope you can focus on taking special care of you- I know I just tried to relax today after alotnof cooking and festivities yesterday and today.
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