Day 2: A Christmas Eve Prayer

A Christmas Eve prayer, traditionally read at dusk or before midnight. This year, I wonder if we will be able to gather for our traditional Christmas Eve service at NSC. I do not know what the future holds as of this writing. But here it is, a prayer that can be read together, or apart with a spirit of unity.

This night is the long night when those who listen await His cry.

This night is the eve of the great nativity when those who are longing await His appearing.

Wait, with watchful heart.

Listen carefully, through the stillness; listen, hear the telling of the waves upon the shore.

Listen, hear the song of the angels glorious - ever long it will be heard that His foot has reached the earth; news - that the glory is come!

Truly His salvation is near for those who fear HIm, and His glory shall dwell in our land.

Watch and pray, the Lord shall come.

Those who are longing await His appearing.

Those who listen await His cry.

Watch…

Wait….

Listen…

This night is the long night.

And as midnight turns into the day we celebrate Christ’s birth we pray:

This night is born Jesus, Son of the King of glory.

This night is born to us the root of our joy.

This night gleamed sea and shore together.

This night was born Christ, The king of greatness.

Though laid in a manger, He came from a throne; on earth though a stranger, in heaven He was known.

How lowly, how gracious His coming to earth!

His love my love kindles to joy in his birth.

Sweet Jesus, King of glory!

Now You sleep in a manger, in a stable poor and cold; but for us You are the highest King, making our hearts into Your palace.

And now we wait. Together? Together apart?

Unified Living

From yesterday:  Success is a matter of consistently living in accordance with our values, our certain way of seeing.  It is about creating a life that fosters our ability to do that consistently. And, then, it is about allowing ourselves to be affected by those around us such that we're interested in helping them create meaning in their lives.

Yesterday I wrote about what success looks like for one of my best friends.  He has so cultivated the art of service and self-sacrifice that he is not overcome by the wealth and prestige he has acquired.  For him, they are merely tools to be relied on when the situation calls for it.

In order to follow his example, we may need to temper our own ambitions, goals, and desires from time to time.  He lives a unified life and so his ambition does not overtake his vision for life. He does not let one area (work) dominate others.  He is unified in terms of his pursuit of his purpose- his call to love God and others. It is because of this that his work, his wealth and prestige, can be tools, rather than "meaning makers."

And this is another lesson I learn from him: success is about a unified life, trying as much as we can to live without cognitive dissonance.  Meaning, we live consistently. For instance, his work life is such that it could easily become all about the status and the money if he allowed it.  He could work harder for longer and become singularly focused on his work, casting friends and family aside. But, should he do this, he's no longer living in accordance with the certain way of seeing that tells him his call is to be a living reflection of God's values.  So, in this hypothetical, he would have tremendous cognitive dissonance. His actual lived experience would be incommensurate with his belief system. That's a recipe for disaster.