Christmas Eve / Christmas Day (child's prayer)
Prayer
Pastoral Prayers For All Seasons
Object:
(A child's prayer)
God? We children didn't know if it was all right to pray at a Christmas Eve service, so we asked our pastor and he said he'd be glad to have us give a Christmas prayer.
First of all, God, we want you to know that we like all the lights and decorations and stuff. Our dads told us that some families have laid out a bundle to string lights on the outside of their houses. They think it's a waste of money. But dads often think that.
We think the Christmas story is cool. Mrs. Smith, our Sunday School teacher, told us that Mary and Joseph walked, well, Mary rode a donkey some of the way, and it took them over a week to go from where they lived in Nazareth to Bethlehem. Since there were no motels they had to sleep out at night. That would have been great! But our moms say, "Not if you're carrying a child!" Moms always bring that stuff up.
There's something that bugs us. Last year, at this one child's home, everyone opened their presents together, but Aunt Sylvia only got a couple of gifts from the children. So someone asked Uncle Leonard why he hadn't gotten Aunt Sylvia anything. He said, "She's already got everything -- and she's too old for presents anyway." Is it true, God, can you get too old for presents? If it is, Aunt Sylvia doesn't like it, cause she began to cry and left the room. Uncle Leonard acted like nothing had happened. Some of the children in that family are going to get Aunt Sylvia a few extra gifts and sneak 'em to her when no one is watching. Is that all right? Sometimes old Uncle Leonard can be a pain.
We like it that you had your Son come to us as a baby. There's not much we can do to help adults, but we can do a lot for babies. Sometimes they cry too much, but other times they're great to look at and so warm and soft. Besides, they don't correct us, or tell us to go do something. It's okay with them if we rock them and talk to them. And since we'll never get to hold the real Jesus, would it be all right if we pretended with another baby? You know, like we had him here right in our arms and called him Jesus and everything?
We've already asked the adults and were surprised that our dads and moms and even grouchy Uncle Leonard thought it would be just fine. Sometimes they do come through. But they thought we should ask you first. So, God, what do you say?
We're the children from 12th Street and Wilbeth. And I guess we should say, "Amen."
God? We children didn't know if it was all right to pray at a Christmas Eve service, so we asked our pastor and he said he'd be glad to have us give a Christmas prayer.
First of all, God, we want you to know that we like all the lights and decorations and stuff. Our dads told us that some families have laid out a bundle to string lights on the outside of their houses. They think it's a waste of money. But dads often think that.
We think the Christmas story is cool. Mrs. Smith, our Sunday School teacher, told us that Mary and Joseph walked, well, Mary rode a donkey some of the way, and it took them over a week to go from where they lived in Nazareth to Bethlehem. Since there were no motels they had to sleep out at night. That would have been great! But our moms say, "Not if you're carrying a child!" Moms always bring that stuff up.
There's something that bugs us. Last year, at this one child's home, everyone opened their presents together, but Aunt Sylvia only got a couple of gifts from the children. So someone asked Uncle Leonard why he hadn't gotten Aunt Sylvia anything. He said, "She's already got everything -- and she's too old for presents anyway." Is it true, God, can you get too old for presents? If it is, Aunt Sylvia doesn't like it, cause she began to cry and left the room. Uncle Leonard acted like nothing had happened. Some of the children in that family are going to get Aunt Sylvia a few extra gifts and sneak 'em to her when no one is watching. Is that all right? Sometimes old Uncle Leonard can be a pain.
We like it that you had your Son come to us as a baby. There's not much we can do to help adults, but we can do a lot for babies. Sometimes they cry too much, but other times they're great to look at and so warm and soft. Besides, they don't correct us, or tell us to go do something. It's okay with them if we rock them and talk to them. And since we'll never get to hold the real Jesus, would it be all right if we pretended with another baby? You know, like we had him here right in our arms and called him Jesus and everything?
We've already asked the adults and were surprised that our dads and moms and even grouchy Uncle Leonard thought it would be just fine. Sometimes they do come through. But they thought we should ask you first. So, God, what do you say?
We're the children from 12th Street and Wilbeth. And I guess we should say, "Amen."
