Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Wisdom Wednesday: Christmas Litany

Grace and peace to you, I’m Rev. Joe Cailles, the pastor of Peakland United Methodist Church in Lynchburg Virginia. Today is Wednesday, December 27, 2023, and it is the second day of Christmas. I’m recording this devotion a week of head time, and as this is posted, I should be with my family in Indiana in the morning and with my wonderful in-law family in Wisconsin by early evening. I have a brief devotion today, a litany, a responsive reading written by Dr. Lisa Hancock the Director of Worship Arts at our United Methodist denomination’s discipleship agency. Dr. Hancock is the one who crafted the liturgy for our Advent Candle lighting this year, as we lit candles and prayed for shocking hope, just peace, fierce joy, and wondrous love. Let’s offer these words. I’ll read the regular print and we’ll all read the bold print together… (me) Come, faithful watchers, and behold, your salvation is here!(people) WE GREET THE WONDROUS LIGHT, OUR MESSIAH, CHRIST THE LORD. (me) We have waited and watched, longing for God to show up and save us from the suffering and pain in our world. (people) WE GREET THE WONDROUS LIGHT, THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR SHOCKING HOPE. (me) We have waited and watched, longing for peace to reign among us, a peace that removes unjust barriers, frees us from sin, and binds us together as neighbors, family, and friends. (people) WE GREET THE WONDROUS LIGHT, THE BRINGER OF OUR JUST PEACE. (me) We have waited and watched, longing for joy that is persistent in the face of the grief, lament, chaos, and oppression that weigh on us day in and day out. (people) WE GREET THE WONDROUS LIGHT, THE SOURCE OF OUR FIERCE JOY. (me) We have waited and watched, longing to encounter the love that transforms us, the Love that is now here among us, first as a babe in a manger, then as a teacher, a friend, and our Savior. (people) WE GREET THE WONDROUS LIGHT: LOVE INCARNATE WHO HAS COME TO SAVE US AND TRANSFORM US. AMEN. This Sunday morning December 31, Peakland gathers for a united worship at 10:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall and we’ll resume our regular worship schedule on Sunday, January 7. If you’d like to learn more about Peakland and finding your place here, contact me at Peaklandpastor@gmail.com I hope you continue to have a merry Christmas and a blessed new year.