Living Hope Advent Reading
Christmas Eve
Oh come, let us adore him
CONSIDER
On this holy night, we celebrate the greatest miracle to ever occur: when God became man and dwelt among us. Nothing else matters if this is not true. Jesus, in his great love and mercy, humbled himself, took the form of a servant, appeared as a frail human baby, and displayed the very glory of God in his coming. What else can we do but simply come and adore him?
We join Christians throughout the world and through history and say to each other, “Come, adore your King.” He has not kept his distance. He has not remained aloof. He has heard our cries. He has fulfilled his promises. He has come. Praise God! He has come.
Oh come, let us adore him. Christ the Lord.
PRAY
O source of all good,
What shall I render to you for the gift of gifts, your own dear Son?
Herein is wonder of wonders:
he came below to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like him.
Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to him he draws near on wings of grace, to raise me to himself.
Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart, he united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreated and the created.
Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost, as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me!
O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds, and enlarge my mind!
Let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore, my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose, my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father!
Place me with ox, donkey, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face, and in him account myself delivered from sin!
Let me with Simeon clasp the newborn child to my heart, embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his!
In him you have given me so much that heaven can give no more.
