Prayers for Sunday December 24, 2000
Christmas Eve

Invocation or Call to Worship (Adapted from Ps 96)

Leader: O sing to the LORD a new song!
People: Sing to the LORD!
Leader: Declare God's glory to everyone!
People: Praise God, O families, glory and strength!
People: Give to the LORD his due.
Leader: Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"
People: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar with happiness.
Leader: Let the field take pride! And let all the trees of the wood sing for joy.
People: Let us join the sea and woods and praise God. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

We keep forgetting the pure and surprising joy of Christmas. We plan to long for this one day of the year. Help us Lord be more like the shepherds open to the surprise and wonder of the day. Keep us from extinguishing the joy and surprise by trying to make things perfect. Instead let us feel the perfection of Your love for us in the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Tonight is the night of Gifts. The night when we give gifts and receive gifts because of the best gift ever. Let our gifts tonight be a celebration of God's perfect gift to us, the gift of his Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

O Lord, thank You for this night. We thank You for the wonder and anticipation and memories. We thank You for the tingle in the air.

We thank You for the "part" of shepherd. We thank You, O God, that You gave us the easy part. We thank You that like the sherderds, You see us sitting on the hill and send down the best message. We thank You that in the midst of the most ordinary of tasks, You gave us the best seats. Because we know that like all those shepherds we have not been left out, but are right in the middle, that the best gift ever is meant just for us.

May this night bring us closer to You, O God, and to all the other shepherds past, present and future. Thanks for making us special even though no one else may see us that way, Dear Lord. Amen.