A Prayer

Jesus,

In a time when things seemed to be falling apart

despite the best efforts of your people, you came.

To an unlikely mother and in the most ludicrous fashion.

Your birth was inconvenient and disruptive in every way,

and you found yourself swaddled upon stones

that resembled an altar more than a cradle.

Not a place for new life to reside, but there you were.

You did everything upside down and backwards

as a Messiah looking to redeem a people,

teaching unqualified students,

and serving outsiders.

You broke all the rules

to show what the rules were actually meant to do.

Instead of rising to the top,

you willingly descended to a grave

because you knew we needed mercy and grace,

not majesty and glory.

You laid these down for our sake, and in doing so

made a way for new life to grow.

Just as your Spirit hovered over creation,

your Spirit now hovers over our hearts

as your life grows in us,

rooted in your sacrifice,

nourished by your

joy,

peace,

hope,

and love.

Amen