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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

Today’s Reflection

MY FRIEND AND his wife were worse than heartbroken at the time. He didn’t know how they would survive the death, but he told me how they lived through it. At the funeral, people said to him over and over, “Tom, you know your faith will get you through this.” He stopped for a moment, looked at me, and then said, “Roberta, it was not my faith that got me through it. It was the faith of my friends.”

I have never forgotten this generous sharing of his painful story at a time I needed to hear it, a time when I was not sure I could believe in much of anything positive. That I have been saved by the faith of my friends I have found to be true again when my hope, energy, and, yes, faith have failed me.

—Roberta C. Bondi, Wild Things: Poems of Grief and Love, Loss and Gratitude (Upper Room Books, 2014)

Today’s Question

When have your friends helped you have faith?  Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
—Hebrews 11:1 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Creator God, As you draw us closer to you, draw us closer to each other. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room .

Something More

Who came up with the idea of using nativity scenes to celebrate Christmas? You might be surprised to learn that Francis of Assisi, the well-known 13th-century saint, is credited with creating the first nativity scene. The Living Nativity: Preparing for Christmas with Saint Francis introduces readers to Saint Francis and his joyous reenactment of the birth of Jesus, complete with a manger and animals. Discover more.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

Sponsored by The Upper Room. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

1 Comment

  • bookpublishing Posted December 9, 2019 9:54 pm

    Thanks.

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