Gracious God, at the start of Advent week 3, as we focus upon Joy, we are reminded of Your great commandment to us, that we must love one another, as You have loved us. Lord God, we know that there are many who will struggle to feel a sense of joy this Christmas for different reasons. We think especially of those who will grieve the loss of loved ones, those who will be in hospital, those who will lack the security of a warm home, those who are anxious for whatever reason. And yet, amidst all this you speak of joy, the joy that comes from an assurance of Your love, and You command us to care for one another, to let Your love be known and experienced in a very real way. And so, as we continue to journey through Advent, help us to remember Your words spoken to us and to reach out, in any way we can, to those in need of Your love this Christmas, and may we experience the reality of that love in our lives, so that we too may feel a sense of joy. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
Gracious God, that first Christmas, over 2,000 years ago, a child was born who brought hope into our world. He understood the things in our lives that destroy our sense of peace and as He grew to be a man, He sought ways to restore our relationship with You, and with one another. He taught us to build communities rooted in equality and justice, compassion and understanding, mutual respect and forgiveness. His name was Jesus and He is the Prince of Peace. Lord God, as we move into the third week of Advent, help us to make the space to prepare to celebrate the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ, remembering the message of hope he brought, as we journey to the manger and seek to follow Him. In His name, the name of Jesus we pray, let there be peace. Amen.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
Gracious God, as we come to You in prayer this Thursday morning, we pray for a sense of peace for all our NHS workers as they continue to take care of the health of our nation. We know that our NHS is always under pressure, particularly in the winter months, but we appreciate that this year the challenges are even more difficult as they continue to deal with Covid 19, amidst all other health concerns, and now face the added pressure of the logistics of a vaccination programme. We continue to give grateful thanks for all our NHS workers and we pray for their physical and mental well-being. May the power of Your Holy Spirit give energy, assurance, comfort and a sense of peace to all those who will care for the needs of others this day and in the days to come.
So too Lord, as we see an increase in cases of Covid 19 in some of our local schools, we pray for all staff working to ensure our children are educated and cared for, amidst this challenging climate. We appreciate the anxiety felt by staff at this time and again, we give grateful thanks for their dedication to the nurturing of our children. We pray for a sense of peace and assurance within every staffroom, and within our schools.
God of peace, may the power of Your love be felt in our communities today. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, we take a moment to come before you and quieten and calm our thoughts. Help us to trust that you will walk with us, to help us deal with the matters of the day ahead. Please give us peace of mind and a sense of Your very being, assured of Your presence with us and Your love for us. In a moment of silence we turn our thoughts to You and we take our strength from You.
And now, Lord God, we lift before You anyone we are concerned about this day. As we utter their name upon our lips, we place them into the safety and security of Your hands. In Your name we pray, let there be peace. Amen.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
God of Grace, today we pray for all the places in our world where there is war or conflict, where people are denied peace. We think especially of families displaced from their homes, for children who cannot play in safety or attend school, for those who lack food and shelter, for communities who live in fear, for those who live with injury and those who grieve the loss of loved ones. We remember when Your Son, Jesus Christ said, ‘Blessed be the peacemakers’. And so we pray for all those seeking to bring peace into the lives of others, for those who seek to alleviate suffering and bring a resolution to conflicts. Lord God, where there is darkness, we ask that Your light will shine, where there is no peace, we pray that Your love will be revealed. In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace we pray, Amen.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
God of Grace, as we lit our second Advent Candle of peace yesterday, we lift before you this morning, all those, including ourselves, whose peace may be disrupted this week. We think about those who cannot settle for anxiety of financial concerns, those who cannot rest because of pain they are experiencing, those who cannot relax because of the presence of conflict in their homes, for those waiting for news of some sort who struggle to be patient, for those whose minds simply will not settle because of a worry that is gnawing away. Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, You came into our world to give us an assurance of the peace of God which goes beyond our understanding. And so, for all those experiencing a lack of peace this week, we pray for Your assurance, we pray for Your compassion, but most of all we pray for the knowledge of Your presence alongside us in every situation. May the power of being loved by You bring peace into our lives in the days ahead, Amen.

Thanks to Helen Ince for these two acrostics about hope

Have

Only

Positive

Expectations

Hold

On

Pain

Ends

Thanks to Elizabeth Cumberlidge for this reflection

Read Matthew 1:18-23

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16 (NIV)

At the beginning of Advent, I brought my nativity set of the attic to put on display and was sad to find that many of the figures were broken.  The angel had only half a wing, the shepherd was missing a hand, a wise man had no foot and the donkey had one lone ear.  Only baby Jesus was intact and appeared unharmed.  I’m not sure what happened, the figures were fine when I packed them away last January.

Initially I thought of purchasing a new nativity set.  Then I realised that maybe God had a message for me.  We are all broken people.  But God can accomplish great works through us.  When we repent of our sins and ask for forgiveness, God can give us new life despite our brokenness.  Jesus’ birth was all about bringing new life to the world.

I think that I will continue to display my imperfect nativity set as a reminder of God’s great love for me.  God loves us so much that Jesus came to take on the brokenness of this world by being born as a tiny baby.  Through Jesus’ willingness to live a human life, we have the hope of eternal life.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus into the world so that we can have eternal life. Amen

Thought for the day: Though I am broken, God loves me and can use me to accomplish great things.

Susan L. Stombaugh

Romans 15:13
“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”
Gracious God, as we come to the end of a week of reflections upon Hope, we remind ourselves of the Hope You promise us, the promise of eternal life in Your presence where nothing can separate us from Your love. Lord God, as we find ourselves in this time of challenge and insecurity, help us to have the faith to continue to believe and trust in Your promise. Creator God, there are many in our communities who for different reasons do not feel loved, valued or cared for. Help us to reach out the hand of friendship and compassion to those who need. So too Lord, give us the courage, the conviction and the creativity to let them know that You, our almighty creator God, loves them too. Give us the opportunity and enthusiasm to tell people about the birth of Your Son and how on the night that He was born, Love came into our world, Love was born. In the name of Jesus, the child in the manger, we pray, Amen.

“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”
Gracious God, on this first Thursday in Advent, as we reflect upon the hope of the birth of Jesus, we give thanks for the news of the vaccine, bringing a sense of real hope for the future, into our communities. We give thanks and pray for all those involved with this amazing breakthrough, for their continuing work, and for the huge and challenging process of setting up a vaccination programme. As we wait for this process to begin, we rejoice in this hope for things to come, but so too we pray for those known to us who will face their own very real challenges today; those dealing with the grief of loved ones, those undergoing treatments for health issues and those awaiting diagnosis. As we pin our hopes on a vaccine that will heal our nation, we lift before You all those in need of the touch of Your healing today, all those in need of Your love, Your compassion and the assurance of Your presence with them. In a moment of quiet we place those known personally to us, into Your hands.
Lord God, at this pivotal time for our nation, we ask for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit upon our land, and we pray too for the needs of all nations seeking healing from the virus. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”
Gracious God, as we continue to focus on the hope of the coming of Jesus into our world, we remember those today still fighting for justice and human rights, those who are not treated equally or fairly, simply because of the colour of their skin, their gender, their age or their social disposition. Lord God, when Jesus walked the earth, he showed us what it truly means to treat people with respect and build inclusive communities where are all are made welcome. So today we think of those campaigning for the civil rights of others, for those living with the effects of the freedoms denied them by society, for those striving to create a future filled with opportunities for their children. Lord, help us, wherever we are, to support those who work actively to build up communities where the voices of all are heard, and where all are afforded the hope that comes from being truly valued and loved by You, in order that they may experience life in all its fullness. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”
Gracious God, as we continue to focus on the hope of the coming of Jesus into our world, we remember that yesterday we brought before You those oppressed by the burden of increased financial worries as a result of the pandemic, those still fighting for justice and human rights regardless of race or social disposition, those grieving or in need of healing, and those unaware of Your Love for them. This morning we realise that for many in our communities, hope has dimmed with the potential loss of more jobs in the retail industry, on the back of those already struggling in the hospitality trade who may not be able to open their doors this Christmas. Lord God, we realise that loss of employment brings with it anxiety, insecurity and a lack of well-being. God of Hope, we lift all those affected before You this morning. We pray that those in positions of power and authority will do whatever they can to sustain the financial needs of others. Lord God, as we reflect upon the example of Jesus, who sought to help people in very practical ways, help us to unite to do whatever we can to support those in need; donating regularly to our Foodbanks, supplying charities with clothes we may have discarded that would bring warmth to another, giving what monetary aid we can afford to charities for the homeless, offering a take-out hot meal and drink to the person on the street, being mindful of our immediate neighbours who may be in need of a conversation over the garden wall. Lord, we pray that You will give us the energy, the courage and the conviction to reach out and bring Hope into the lives of others, this Advent, so that those in need will know that they are valued, and will feel touched by the power and the presence of Your love for them. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.