Candle Lighting: Come, Lord Jesus.
Opening Prayer:
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.
With your abundant grace and might,
Free us from the sin that hinders our faith,
That eagerly we may receive your promises.
Today’s reading is from Luke 1: 57-79
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Today's Gospel passage recalls almost fondly the birth of John the Baptist, who will be the forerunner and messenger of the Lord whom we all seek. It's a domestic family scene, the naming of their child by Elizabeth and Zechariah, but it created wonder, fear, and awe. For when Zechariah wrote down, "John is his name," his tongue was freed and his mouth was opened with a beautiful prayer of blessing we now know as "The Benedictus," chanted in monasteries and Churches ever since the formation of the Christian Scriptures in the late first century.
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has come to his people and set them free...He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant, David, etc."
Zechariah's song ends with these beautifully hopeful words, "In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace." What an apt description of the Coming of Jesus, Emmanuel, Our Savior, the Prince of Peace, the celebration of whose birth is tomorrow evening. This is the last day of Advent. Tomorrow begins the season of Christmas!!
Dear Lord, we have traveled together the past weeks along the path of remembrance. Thru your scriptures we have prepared ourselves for tomorrow night, one of the holiest in Christendom. The path has been prepared and now we journey forward toward your tender compassion from on high which shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen and Amen
Called as God's people;
Equipped by the Holy Spirit;
Sent to boldly proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to all people
Thanks to: The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, ELCA and http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112810.html
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