LAST SUNDAY, as part of my training as a Methodist minister, I was invited to lead a short prayer after each of the six familiar Bible readings.
Each prayer begins with one or more titles for Jesus inspired by the reading, and ends with a call and response:
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Maranatha is an ancient prayer from the earliest Christians in Aramaic, the language Jesus would have spoken. It holds a beautiful double meaning: ‘Our Lord, come‘ as a prayer of longing, and ‘Our Lord has come‘ as a declaration of faith. In praying it together, we hold together the joy of Christmas and the hope of Advent – trusting in Christ who has come among us, and longing for Christ’s kingdom to be fully revealed.
Reading 1: Isaiah 9: 2-3a, 6-7 – A child has been born for us
Prayer:
Wonderful Counsellor,
As we wait in hope for the return of a season of light, warmth, and growth, remind us that our darkness is as light to you. In the depth of winter, when we can see our breath, remind us that you are as close to us as our breath. Increase our joy and trust in your abundance. May our thirst for peace be strengthened and our hunger for justice deepened, until all are fed, and safe, and well.
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Reading 2: Luke 1:26-38 – The birth of Jesus foretold
Prayer:
Son of God,
May we face our fears with courage and trust in your promise that everyone, without exception, can find favour with God. When we, like Mary, are much perplexed, help us to remember that nothing is impossible with God.
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Reading 3: Luke 2:1-7 – The Birth of Jesus
Prayer:
Emmanuel – God with us,
You and your family knew what it meant to be vulnerable: without a place to call home, to flee from danger. When our actions or inactions put others at risk, help us to be channels of your justice, mercy and peace. Help us to see the most vulnerable members of your body as you see them: with kindness and generosity, gentleness and patience.
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Reading 4: Luke 2:8-20 – The shepherds and the angels
Prayer:
Good Shepherd,
Your birth was announced first to those whom others overlooked. Born among shepherds and sheep, You still seek those who are lost. Carry us home with joy and teach us to rejoice when others are found.
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Reading 5: Matthew 2:1-12 – The visit of the Magi
Prayer:
King of Kings,
May we, like the wise ones who sought you and worshipped you, be overwhelmed with joy by the many gifts you give us, and call us to offer with love. When we are tempted to believe we have all the wisdom to give to others, teach us to listen well in humility, and show us the wisdom to be found in the unexpected.
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Reading 6: John 1:1-14 – The Word became flesh
Prayer:
Word made flesh, Light of the World,
We thank you that you lived among us and have called us to be children of God. Give us grace to testify to our faith. We pray for those who are persecuted for their faith, and those who struggle to accept people of faith. Enlighten us with grace and truth, so we may love one another as you have loved us.
Call: Maranatha
Response: Our Lord, come!
Conclusion:
I closed the time of prayer by inviting people to pray the Lord’s Prayer in whichever version they know best, ‘in the language of their heart and home’. Some spoke the traditional version, some the modern version, and some in languages other than English. It represented our community’s unity in diversity, not in uniformity or conformity.
After these readings and prayers I invited people to come forward and light a candle for their own intentions. The tealights were arranged on the round altar table in the shape of the logo of the Methodist Church In Britain. After those present had lit their candles, the minister and I lit those remaining for absent friends and those who have no-one to pray for them.
Acknowledgement:
The final line of the first prayer is taken from ‘A Thanksgiving Prayer’ by Brian McLaren.
I share these prayers in the hope that they might help hold together the longing and hope of Advent with the joy and mystery of Christmas. Rooted in Scripture and shaped for communal response, they are intended to be prayed slowly, attentively, and together. These prayers are shared freely for use and adaptation in worship and ministry, with acknowledgement of the author.
Recent comments