Transcript for December 24, 2009 By Bob Kleinheksel

Come, O come Emmanuel, Great Spirit of life, beauty and truth – dwelling in, between, around and beyond all we know. We gather again in this place, celebrating the birth of love and our humanity that comes through billions of years of emergence, beauty, amazing grace and love. We are harried, despondent, fearful, angry and expectant, and we are quiet now that our hearts and minds center on the joy of this season and recognize the rising star of new birth.

The birth of a new day dawning and holy presence in our every circumstance. We open ourselves up to all sources of compassion and life – to find our way through hectic days, exhausting consumerism, quiet songs, at risk children…toward a new place and the ordering of our lives according to the ways of justice, mercy and peace. (Silence)

In these holi-days and season of active reflection and anticipation – We choose eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to understand the ways which are often contrary to the ways of this world. May there be an emergence of new beginnings, new thoughts, new questions, affirmations and commitments. And through it all, we express our gratitude…for warm and loyal community and tender connections with one another….for increasing awareness of what is essential in this age of fear, dishonesty and superficiality…grateful for attitudes and decisions that create inclusive embrace for all to enter and thrive.

As we gather to be, learn and grow, as we celebrate family gatherings and anticipate gift giving and receiving – may we be guided to what is empowering and inspiring, guided back to our true selves; guided to each other so we can re-discover our true humanity. May we be and become gifts to one another through and with holy presence and grace and deepening humanity; moved beyond curtains of convention and propriety – so we can be ourselves – honest, fallible, loveable before each other.

As we affirm life and birth in the midst of death, and light side by side with darkness…we lift up and commend all those living with difficult circumstances…those living with upheaval, loss of jobs or ones loved…or a marriage now concluded. May we be active in all our communications with one another, with spouse, friend, child, parent; may we affirm the holy in them, bring out the best with each other and wonder again what it means to love unconditionally.

For the mystery enfleshed in humanity, in Jesus, in all babies and in the likes of us, we are grateful. For the ability to be at-one with hope, justice and compassion and with a love that would subdue any of the world’s defiance and rejection – we offer our thanks. We commend our hopes to be renewed, our dreams to be encouraged and our intrigue strengthened with each other and the world. We would be guided to new health and balance and peace- for life’s sake and for the sake of our friends and neighbors near and far. We gather and pray in honor and remembrance of one peasant boy, Jesus, born in oppression, subverter of domination, who grew to lead many to a new salvation, to new understandings, hopes and possibilities. We gather and pray in celebration of the birth of light and love and kinship once again with and among us all – every night and every day with every child. Amen.