Prayer for before a nativity play..

Today we praise you father God

in words and in music

and through the creative retelling of

the old familiar Christmas story.

This is a story we have heard from childhood

a story that has become part of us through repetition

It is a very familiar story

yet still we find we wonder and praise God

at the immensity of the story behind the tales of shepherds, angels and kings.

It is the story of the mighty God, the creator of heaven and earth

coming to earth in unbelievable vulnerability

as a baby

born in an insanitary and dangerous place and time

in a borrowed cowshed

where danger lurked in the shadows cast by Herod and Rome.

And as we ponder on this amazing initiative by God

we realise that this is always the way that God works:

coming in seeming weakness

speaking through the small and vulnerable.

God's way is a path that is often difficult for us to follow

for it goes against the accepted ways of the world:

The path of following Jesus

brings great reward but does not promise an easy journey.

Written by me December 2015

Image courtesy of seksuwat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool,
To weep is to risk being called sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.
To place your ideas and your dreams before the crowd is to risk being called naive.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure

But risks must be taken, because the greatest risk in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.
Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom.
Only the person who risks is truly free.

An inspirational piece of writing by Janet Rand.

 Image courtesy of  Master isolated images /FreeDigitalPhotos.net