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As Charlie Brown's friends used to sing every December, Christmas Time is Here! And to help you connect with your Heavenly Father this time of year, we have another Ancient Christmas Prayer for you.
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Before we get to this week's prayer from the twelfth century, we want to make sure you take time to read through all of the News items at the bottom of this email as there is LOTS going on during this Christmas season. So after reading about Bernard and then praying, take a minute or two to make sure you know all of December's happenings.
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Nativity Prayer of Bernard
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This week, as we continue in our Ancient Christmas Prayers email series, we get to connect with our Heavenly Father through a prayer from roughly 1140 A.D. written by Bernard of Clairvaux.
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Bernard was born in 1090 A.D. to parents of the highest nobility in Burgundy, an historical province of France. At the age of 9, Bernard was sent to a religious boarding school, where he showed an interest in literature and an aptitude for speech and reasoning. By his early 20s, Bernard had become fairly influential within the Catholic Church, leading many young men, as well as all of his brothers and even his widowed father, to join the monastery he had entered. He eventually helped found 163 monasteries throughout Europe, and became an influential voice in theological and political matters within the Catholic Church.
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Bernard's primary place of fame comes from two places: the founding of the Knights Templar (a military order within the Catholic Church) and giving the sermon that launched the second Crusade (which was not only a catastrophic failure, but for many modern people, this leads Bernard not to fame but infamy). You might have been unknowingly exposed to Bernard's influence if you've ever sung the hymn, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.
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Lastly, you might be interested to know that Bernard's influence did not impact only his beloved Catholic Church. Two of the most famous reformers, John Calvin and Martin Luther, quote from Bernard in defense of Sola Fidé (the doctrinal understanding of being justified by faith alone).
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With that background, let us use Bernard of Clairvaux's Nativity Prayer to draw our hearts heavenward during this season of Advent.
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Let your goodness, Lord, appear to us,
that we, made in your image, may conform ourselves to it.
In our own strength we cannot imitate
your majesty, power, and wonder,
nor is it fitting for us to try.
But your mercy reaches from the heavens
through the clouds to the earth below.
You have come to us as a small child,
but you have brought us the greatest of all gifts,
the gift of eternal love.
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Ugly Sweater
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Come to Riverwood this Sunday dressed in that bright, gaudy sweater you are too embarrassed to wear any other day of the year!
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Christmas Caroling
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Don't forget to come back Sunday evening to go caroling around the community. We will depart from the Riverwood building at 5:30pm. Join us for some or all the houses, then return for cookies and cocoa!
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Food Pantry
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Family Game & Cookie Exchange
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Let's join for a cookie exchange and game afternoon! Bring 2 dozen of your favorite cookie, your family, and a board game at 3pm on Dec. 16. (family and games optional; cookies, a must!) 😉
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Impact Gift
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We will be collecting our Impact Gift for 2023 in-person on December 17. You may also give online at any time by heading to this link. This year's Impact Gift helps Josh & Hillary Smith as they bless the Cambodians they minister to.
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Monthly Financial Update
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This might not be a "Just for Fun," but it is my pleasure to update you on how our giving is close to fulfilling our yearly general budget.
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2023 Budget Total: $187,188.17
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2023 YTD General Giving: $178,547.11
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