A Prayer for Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Twenty-Fourth Day of Advent

O God,

Please maintain in us an ongoing sense
of the mystery and wonder of it all.

There is, after all, so much to marvel over;
there is so much about who you are and
what you have done, are doing, and will do that,
even as we celebrate it, we cannot understand.

Help us to realize that if we think
we understand it we have severely reduced it.
Help us to pursue acceptance of it all
even more than we pursue understanding of it all.

We cannot understand why you love us—
but we accept and celebrate that you do.
We cannot understand why you entered the world in a baby—
but we accept and celebrate that you do.
We cannot understand why that baby grew up to die on the cross—
but we accept and celebrate that he did.
We cannot understand how the man who died on the cross rose from the grave—
but we accept and celebrate that he did.
We cannot understand how it will be when the resurrected Lord comes again—
but we accept and celebrate that he will.
We cannot understand why and how you continue
to come to us and to be with us through your Spirit right here and right now—
but we accept and celebrate that you do.

We will continue to try to understand—curiosity
that leads to such pursuit is another of your
great gifts to us for which we thank you.

We confess, though, that there will always be
mystery surrounding you and your gracious actions,
a mystery for which we are grateful because
it leads us to stand in awe of you.

We are amazed that you come to us.
We celebrate that you come to us.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.