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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

 

Today's Reflection

Beyond the interpersonal, we long for a new reign of peace and civility where disagreements and challenges become opportunities for new partnerships and for considering the welfare of those without power or voice. We long for wars to cease, weapons to be laid down, and every land mine to be safely plucked up and destroyed before it harms another child at play. We long for all to be fed, that in God’s world of abundance, we learn to share. We long for creation to be cherished, rivers and streams to be clear, the air to be breathable.

So many longings. Come, thou long-expected Jesus, touch our longings with the hope of a new day.

—Larry J. Peacock, The Living Nativity: Preparing for Christmas with Saint Francis (Upper Room Books, 2018)

Today's Question

What are you longing for today?

Today's Scripture

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Hallelujah! God is with us. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

The Upper Room wishes you a blessed Christmas season, full of joy and love, in celebration of the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. You can continue to spread the gift of Jesus by giving to The Upper Room.
Your tax-deductible gift of any size will impact lives throughout the world.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

Sponsored by The Upper Room. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

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Today's Reflection

WHEN WE DO EXPERIENCE WHOLENESS, we find capacity to handle difficult life situations and stress because we are connected to Jesus. It doesn’t mean we are free from trials, but it does mean that we have the capacity to handle them. It means that God’s love, mercy, and kindness sustain us through whatever we face. When we are growing in Christ and Christ is in us, we discover a joy that isn’t manufactured or dependent upon external circumstances. That joy is at our core and isn’t easily shaken.

—Junius B. Dotson

Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness Upper Room Books.

Today's Question

How do tests and trials teach you about who God is and who you are?

Today's Scripture

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
—Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Prayer for the Week

“O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” —Psalm 63:1 (NRSV) Submit your prayer to The Upper Room or share it in the comment section.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

Sponsored by The Upper Room. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

6 Comments | Join the Conversation.