This document contains a prayer asking God to care for all of creation, as well as excerpts from the Bible describing Mary's praise of God and his mercy. It discusses how Jesus stood against the idea that people must earn access to God, and instead offered grace freely. It encourages embracing this by offering grace to others as Jesus did, cementing God's favor and love in ourselves and declaring it to the world.

1. Prayer For The People of God
God of promise, you have given us
a sign of your love through the gift
of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who was
promised from ages past. We believe
as Joseph did the message of your presence
whispered by an angel, and offer our
prayers for your world, confident of
your care and mercy for all creation.
Amen.

2. My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness
of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will
call me blessed; for the Mighty One has
done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation.
Luke 1:46b-50

3. He has shown strength with his arm; he has
scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and
lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry
with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance
of his mercy, according to the promise he made
to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his
descendants forever.
Luke 1:51-55

4. The Church Calendar
December 13

6. actively engaging your will
for the good of another
(often at your own expense)
Love

7. The heartwarming tale
of how rich people
must be
supernaturally
terrorized
into sharing

10. I don’t know what your questions are, but
abstract religious talk about
unconditional love can leave me
a little confused about what kind
of affections I can expect from
an invisible deity…

11. - “Why, Lord?”
- “Why not, Lord?”
- “How long, Lord?”
- “Where are you, God?”
- “Are you even…there?”
- “Do you even hear me, God?”
- “Are you even paying attention?”
- “How is all this supposed to work?”
- ”How could you let all this happen?”
What are your questions?

12. The idea of being created by a God who is
wrathful toward you the moment
you emerge from the womb – and always
will be, unless you say a magic sentence of
belief to that God – started to sound like
crazy talk (to someone
for whom Christianity had stopped
making sense…) Many people lose their
faith because of their fundamental belief
that who they really are –
the real – is rejected by the Giver
who game them their lives.

13. - Abuser?
- Addict?
- Afraid?
- Alone?
- Angry?
- Ashamed?
- Confused?
- Doubtful?
- Drunkard?
What is your “real”?
- Enabler?
- Failure?
- Glutton?
- Greedy?
- Hypocrite?
- Liar?
- Lustful?
- Mocker?
- Prideful?
- Untrustworthy?
- Used?
- Victim?
- Violent?

14. I don’t know what your questions are, but
abstract religious talk about
unconditional love can leave me
a little confused about what kind
of affections I can expect from
an invisible deity, (but the arrival
of Jesus) stands against the idea
that if you do it right, you get
access to God’s presence.

15. “if you do it right, you get
access to God’s presence…”
DOESN’T JESUS’ ENTIRE LIFE &
MINISTRY STAND AGAINST THAT?!
Zoroastrians and shepherds,
The poor and the oppressed,
Tax collectors and sinners,
The lame and the lepers,
Women and children,
And on and on…

16. His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
Luke 1:50
IT ENCOURAGES ME THAT EVEN MARY
HAD THIS ONE WRONG…

17. He causes his sun to rise
on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45b

18. I don’t know what your questions are, but
abstract religious talk about
unconditional love can leave me
a little confused about what kind
of affections I can expect from
an invisible deity, (but the arrival
of Jesus) stands against the idea
that if you do it right, you get
access to God’s presence.

19. One of the ways we can experience
the wonder of God-with-Us today is
by participating in the same gift of
being given that Jesus did.We too
can free others from the janky treadmill
of striving by offering them the same
grace and truth we have received,
our presence not withheld in the
midst of their real. It is this act of
embodiment that begins to cement
in us the freely given unmerited favor
and love of an invisible God.

20. If the arrival of Jesus stands against
the idea that “if you do it right,
you get access to God’s presence,”
then shouldn’t our arrival into
people’s lives stand against
that idea too? If so, then how
can we better declare ”the unmerited
favor and love of an invisible God”
to the world around us?
Questions

21. Benediction
Ever faithful God,
through prophets and angels,
you promised to raise up a holy child
who would establish a household
of peace and justice. Open our hearts
to receive your Son, that we may open our doors
to welcome all people as sisters and brothers,
and establish your household in our time.
Amen.