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If you are like many Americans, your schedule is incredibly busy this time of year. (Who decided to call this The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?) The schools are packing in every type of concert you can imagine, work wants you at their party, you need to finish your Christmas shopping, the house still needs cleaned before hosting, and even your beloved church is asking you to carol, swap cookies, invite people to Christmas Eve, and plan what ugly sweater to wear.
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So let's stop for a moment, take a breath, and let an ancient Christmas prayer from the third century help us connect with our Heavenly Father and be reminded why we celebrate Christmas.
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A Syriac Christmas Prayer
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Welcome back to the third installment in our Ancient Christmas Prayers series. This week, we will be praying a prayer from the third century. It was originally written in the Syriac language. During the third century, the most prevalent languages were Greek, Latin, and Syriac. Syriac was very similar to Aramaic, a language used for portions of the book of Daniel. The Syriac (or Syrian) Church finds its roots from Antioch, the city and church I talked about in my Oct 29 sermon from Acts 11.
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I have added footnotes to help you see just how biblical this prayer is. But don't just read the words or notice the footnotes. Truly pray the prayer! May this ancient prayer that Christ-followers long ago prayed help you worship your Heavenly Father who gave the greatest gift ever given - His one and only Son.
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The Prayer
The radiance of the Father’s splendor, the Father’s visible image,1 Jesus Christ our God,2 peerless among counselors,3 Prince of Peace,4 Father of the world to come,5 the model after which Adam6 was formed, for our sakes became like a slave:7 in the womb of Mary the virgin,8 without assistance from any man, he took flesh.9
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Enable us, Lord, to reach the end of this luminous feast in peace, forsaking all idle words,10 acting virtuously,11 shunning our passions,12 and raising ourselves above the things of this world.13
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Bless your servants, whose trust is all in you; bless all Christian souls, the sick, those tormented by evil spirits, and those who have asked us to pray for them.14
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Show yourself as merciful as you are rich in grace;15 save and preserve us;16 enable us to obtain those good things to come which will never know an end.
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May we celebrate your glorious birth,17 and the Father who sent you to redeem us18, and your Spirit, the Giver of life,19 now and forever, age after age. Amen.
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- Colossians 1:15 ↩︎
- 2 Peter 1:1 ↩︎
- Isaiah 9:6 ↩︎
- Isaiah 9:6 ↩︎
- Isaiah 9:6 ↩︎
- Romans 5:14 ↩︎
- Philippians 2:7 ↩︎
- Luke 1:26-35 ↩︎
- John 1:14 ↩︎
- Matthew 12:36 ↩︎
- 2 Timothy 2:22 ↩︎
- Galatians 5:24 ↩︎
- Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 3:1-2 ↩︎
- James 5:16 ↩︎
- Exodus 34:6 ↩︎
- Psalm 80:3 ↩︎
- Galatians 4:4 ↩︎
- Galatians 4:5 ↩︎
- John 6:63 ↩︎
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Family Game & Cookie Exchange
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This Saturday from 3-5 pm at the Riverwood building, bring the whole family for a cookie exchange and game afternoon! Bring 2 dozen of your favorite cookie and a game if you'd like!
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Impact Gift
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We will be collecting our Impact Gift for 2023 in-person this Sunday. 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 2,000+ Cambodians with a meal and a gift ($3.50/person).
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Christmas Eve Service
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On Dec. 24, we will have our regular 9:30 am Worship Gathering in the morning. Then, come back at 4:30 pm for our family-friendly candlelight Christmas Eve service. Who can you invite to join you?
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Just For Fun
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