Prayer Of Wonder At God Coming To Be With Us

Well, here we are post Christmas.  For some this is day 2 of family gatherings – particularly so when we are all trying to gather in smaller groups once again in this 2^nd Christmas of the pandemic.  But there is that “day after” sense around us as stores reopen and sales ramp up.

I wonder what Mary and Joseph felt as the day of Jesus’ birth and all the difficulties and inconveniences of that slipped into the background.  They both knew that this baby was a miracle.  He’s here, but now what?  What does life look like going forward? 

We’re all pretty familiar with the Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know” as the writer of the song tries to guess what Mary’s perspective might have been. 

A number of years ago another musical artist, Michael Card wrote a similar song from Joseph’s perspective:

How could it be this baby in my arms sleeping now, so peacefully, the Son of God, the angel said. How could it be?

Lord I know He's not my own, not of my flesh, not of my bone.  Still Father let this baby be the son of my love

Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours.  How can a man be father to the Son of God?  Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter.  How can I raise a king? How can I raise a king?

That’s our prayer today too, I think,  as we respond to the amazing story of Jesus birth. Lord, how could it be, that You the King of Kings and Lord of Lords could be born as a baby and do it all for us?  We’re amazed.  We don’t really understand all that well just how incredible these events were.  And yet something inside us is touched by the personal nature of who you are and what You’ve done on our behalf. 

You are the God is makes Yourself available to us – not in big and scary ways, but in tender vulnerable ones as You come to us and invite us to love you in response to Your love to us.

How could it be? You are the God who has come close and in gratitude and wonder we want to open our lives, our hearts, our worlds to you as we move forward one day at a time.  As Mary and Joseph watched baby Jesus and marveled at changes and growth, cries and first words and first steps, so may we walk with You and watch with You and pay attention to every nuance of what You are trying to show us and say to us. 

You are Immanuel, God who is with us, and we are glad.  Amen