Artwork: Light Offered, by Scott Erickson

A Litany for Christmas Eve
(Texts: Genesis 1:1–3, Silent Night, Matthew 28:20, Isaiah 9:6, Deuteronomy 31:8)
--
On the cusp of brightness dawning,
we are gathered in anticipation,
stirring our hearts to remember
the moment the story of the world
transformed.
--
Jesus, we welcome you,
Love's Pure Light.
--
A child is coming, the indwelling
God among us. He will be just
and kind, a Wonderful Counsellor,
a Prince of Peace.
--
Jesus, we welcome you,
Wondrous Hope.
--
We join with the assembled hosts
to declare God's goodness,
to glimpse over the edge of time
the miraculous work of the intervening God.
--
Jesus, we welcome you,
Lord at your becoming.
--
Spirit of God, hover over us.
Step into the dark of our lives
and bring relief. Remind us
that surely you are with us,
even to the end of the age.
--
Jesus, we welcome you,
Redeeming Grace.
--
In this moment, in this present,
we look to your faithfulness,
God our friend. You who have chosen
to live among us and call us yours.
--
Jesus, we welcome you,
Saviour and King.

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Emily Davidson is a writer living in Vancouver, on the unceded ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. Her creative work has appeared in literary magazines across the country, and her debut collection of poetry, Lift, was released in 2019. Emily is part of The Table Vineyard community.