In the light and the bustle of the day we have looked for you.
In the darkness and the stillness of the night, we have longed for your presence.
We have waited for your coming, we have anticipated your being.
And now you come into the world this Christmas Day, yet you have always been here.
Your hope, peace, joy and love overflows. We wait no longer. You are here.
We pray for your broken world, for our broken world.
We have examined our place within the garden of creation.
You gave us dominance over all creation, but we have abused that power.
We have seen the damage we as humans have done and are doing to our planet,
We have seen the animals, birds and insects we have eliminated, the fish and sea creatures we have endangered.
We have allowed economic greed and personal wealth to dominate sustainability.
We have kept your natural riches for ourselves instead of sharing with the poor and the weak.
As a people who have walked in the darkness of this broken world for so long,
We have seen a great light; our eyes have been opened.
In the light of your justice we see hope for our natural world.
In the light of your word we desire peace for our natural world.
In the light of your presence we find joy in caring for your beautiful world.
In the light of your love we embrace your forgiveness and find a desire within us to change.
Your hope is our hope,
your peace is our peace,
your joy is our joy,
your love is our love.
We pray for your broken church, for our broken church.
We have examined our place within the walls of your church.
You have given us the power to bring peace to places of conflict and turmoil, but we have abused that power.
We have allowed others to find terror instead of sanctuary within your church.
We have allowed rules and regulations to prevent us from taking love to the world.
We have seen the damage we, as your people, have done to others, driving them away from you instead of embracing them within the wings of love.
As a people who have walked in the darkness of this broken church for so long,
We have seen a great light; our eyes have been opened.
In the light of your justice we see hope for your church.
In the light of your word we desire peace within your church.
In the light of your presence we find joy in rebuilding your church.
In the light of your love we embrace forgiveness and find within us a desire to change.
Your hope is our hope,
your peace is our peace,
your joy is our joy,
your love is our love.
We pray for broken people everywhere; we pray for our broken selves.
We have examined our place with the peoples of the world.
You give us opportunities to take love to the world, but we have overlooked those opportunities.
We have allowed our personal time and resources to become more precious than love.
We have allowed our personal desires for comfort and security to overtake our willingness to help others.
We have allowed ourselves to be silenced by those who spread intolerance and hate.
We have allowed ourselves to hide in the study and analysis of your word to the point we have made ourselves blind to injustice inflicted by governments and leaders in our name.
We do not live justly, we do not love kindness. So how can we walk humbly with you?
As a people who have walked in the darkness of brokenness for so long,
We have seen a great light; our eyes have been opened.
In the light of your justice we see hope for ourselves.
In the light of your word we embrace peace for peoples everywhere.
In the light of your presence we find joy in helping others.
In the light of your love we find forgiveness and a desire within us to change.
Your hope is our hope,
your peace is our peace,
your joy is our joy,
your love is our love.
You have come into the world this Christmas Day, yet you have always been here.
In the light and the bustle of the day we find you.
In the darkness and the stillness of the night, your presence comforts us.
Your hope, peace, joy and love overflows. We wait no longer. You are here.
Reflections and Refractions 
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