A prayer as we begin

And so we begin again. January wind blows in and reminds us that time waits for no man. We are moved into the newness of this season whether we like it or not. And some of us are lovers of this new place. We embrace it with our lists and our goals and all of the ways we know we can improve upon last year’s model. The unknown invigorates us. Others of us walk into it timidly; we stand on tiptoe and peer over the edge. We long to get a glimpse of the ending before we embark upon this beginning. Because what if? What if it’s a lot the same? What if it doesn’t work? What if we can’t do it all? And so today as we near the end of this first week of a new year. I simply want to offer you this. A prayer as we begin again.

Lord, you are the God of new beginnings. The God of unknown places and of exciting expectant starting lines. You stand before all things and in all things and you are with us here in the early days of this new year. Remind us of this truth.

We are a forgetful people Lord. We rush ahead or we lag behind and we wonder. We wonder if you see us. We wonder if you know how we long to get it right. We make our goals and claim our words and set out on our way often certain of the outcome. Whisper the truth of your Word to us. “The heart of a man plans his ways but the Lord establishes his steps.” Establish our steps today Lord.

We are the overthinkers, the overdoers and the underprepared. We begin with great gusto and then despair when we fall flat. We are slow to see your plans and even slower to trust your presence with us. We are at the same time certain of our strength and amazed at our weakness. We want to need you and we want to do it on our own. We are creatures far too easily pleased and never satisfied. Oh Lord, hear our prayer.

Just a few weeks ago we sang the carols, we lit the candles and we proclaimed the truth; Jesus, the Son of God came as a baby to dwell among us. We heard the story of the shepherds and the wise men and we nodded teary-eyed at your coming, Lord. Immanuel, God with us.

But not now. Now that is finished. The decorations have been packed away. The sentiment is gone. Now, the days are ours to conquer. Like maybe that baby in a manger was only for those shepherds and only for those wise men; only for that time long ago; for silent nights and little towns like Bethlehem.

Give us a song for now, Lord. Give us a candle in this darkness, today. Open our eyes that we may see you as you truly are: Immanuel, God with us. God with us in the beautiful and the delightful and God with us in the hard and the unknown.

You did not come to sleep in a manger and then be packed away as the new year begins. You came for this day; for this challenge staring us down, for this decision we can’t seem to make, for this relationship we can’t fix, for this lonely ache that pushes on our chest.

You came to dwell not just among shepherds in fields or wise men on camels, but among us; in the difficult places, the new places, and the same places. Lord, you came to be with us. Help us let you in.

What we believe and what we live can too often be in disagreement with each other. As the weeks spin around us, we become certain that it is a performance you are after. We make our relationship with you about the good work we have done or left undone. But help us hear the truth that echos throughout your Word. “Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and follow me that it might go well with them.”

“Rend your hearts not your garments and return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and compassionate.”  It’s never been about our good work. It’s always been about our hearts.

You stepped down out of heaven and came to dwell here in our neighborhoods so that our hearts would know you. You came to do what we in all of our striving cannot do. You came to save us.

Whisper it to us now; how you love us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.”

Be in these our days, Lord. These days of beginnings, of new routines, of more work, of doing it all again or for the first time. Help us hear you, Immanuel, God with us. And create in us clean hearts, renew in us right spirits,restore unto us the joy of our salvation; not because we deserve it but because you love us and long to make us yours. May we never get over how amazing that is.

Alleluia. Amen.