Dear Father through our Lord Jesus Christ! Put aright what we did wrong, including this imperfect worship service and the many other Christmas celebration to which we look forward with understanding of foolish hearts! You are able to make water flow from the rock, to change water into wine, and to beget children of Abraham from these stones. You do so in the unspeakable faithfulness which you have pledged to your people and evidenced again and again. Your loving kindness shines through the gospel, and we may abide in it in all adversities of life. For this we give you thanks, imploring you not to let us harden our hearts against it. Keep stirring us from the sleep of indifference and from the bad dreams of our pious and impious passions and greeds! Never cease to lead us back to your ways!
Restrain the folly of the cold war and the mutual threats whereby the community of men is exposed to mortal danger. Bestow upon the governments and upon those who mould public opinion new wisdom, patience and decisiveness that are so sorely needed for establishing and preserving the rights of all men on your good earth! Grant, we beseech you, that the work done in our city, in our churches, in our University and in our schools be not deprived of your light and your blessing, to the well-being of us all and to your glory.
Above all we pray today for the many whose Christmas joy is overshadowed: for the poor, known and unknown, for those ageing in loneliness, for the sick and the mentally ill, for the prisoners. May your light brighten their days! Lastly, we entrust to your care our loved ones near and afar, as well as ourselves, asking you mercifully to extend your hand over our life, and when the time comes, over our departing.
Lord, have mercy upon us! Your name be praised, now and forever more. Amen.
- Barth, Karl, 2001: Deliverance to the Captives. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers. (Utg av Harper Collins 1959.) S 107-108.
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