This is the Advent Prayer that Pastor Dave Bullock prayed during our Sunday evening service of carols and readings. The prayer was written by Paul A. Richardson, a professor with whom Pastor Dave studied. May this become our prayer this Advent season.

Almighty God,

who, having created all worlds and mankind,

has profoundly pitied us;

who has come to us that we might be saved,

not of our merit, but of your unquenchable love;

look on us who worship in comfort,

in light and warmth,

in health and prosperity,

in pride and in presumption:

For,

having all glory,

you became incarnate in the dishonor

of a defeated line of kings;

having all riches,

you became incarnate in the poverty

of the working class;

having all illumination,

you became incarnate in the darkness

of night and obscurity;

having all wisdom,

you became incarnate in the confounding simplicity

of a child;

having all life,

you became incarnate in the emptiness

of a virgin’s womb;

having all power,

you became incarnate in the weakest form

of human life—a male infant.

Help us to recognize

our shame, our poverty,

our darkness, our foolishness,

our emptiness, our weakness,

that we may know our need of you.

And then . . .

become incarnate in us.

Let your servants depart in peace, O Lord,

full of the vision of your salvation,

ready to make it plain before all the faces of the earth.

We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.