Prayers of the People, A2A

The wilderness is lonely, O God,
and your people are longing
to see you.
In anticipation,
we follow the path to Bethlehem,
listening to the prophets
and crying out for change.
Encircle your children with protection, we pray,
from those intent on harm,
from those armed with anger,
from those spewing hatred,
from those screaming lies,
from those seeking to destroy.
Embolden your prophets, we pray,
to speak truth to power,
to call for justice in the face of injustice,
to free those enslaved by greed,
to comfort the grieving,
to call us all to a new way of being.
As we journey toward Christmas,
open our hearts to receive
the light of your love
incarnate in your Son, Jesus,
humbly born of those whom we
would turn away.
Open our eyes to see Christ
in each person we meet
along the road,
remembering that each one
is traversing their own
wilderness
on the way to Bethlehem
as well. ​