Liturgical Readings For Christmas: Prayer of Confession, Celebration of Assurance & Prayer for Illumination

Christmas is a day-long celebration, of course, but it is also a season lasting twelve days (as in the song “The Twelve Days Of Christmas”).  What many people don’t realize is that, in the Church calendar year, these twelve days don’t end with Christmas day.  They begin there and end on Epiphany Sunday.  What most people call “the season of Christmas” is Advent, which we’ve talked quite a bit about lately here at sojournmusic.com.  Hopefully you’ve been able to incorporate many of the readings into your Advent devotionals and services.

Now looking ahead, and courtesy of The Worship Sourcebook, here are readings for personal reflection, family worship and church congregations for Christmas day and the short season that follows.  If used in public worship, have everyone read aloud the portions in bold type:

Prayer of Confession For Christmas

God of love,

all year long we pursue power and money,

yet you come in weakness.

All season long we covet great material gifts,

when you alone offer what is lasting.

Through the work of this Lord Jesus,

who comes among us full of grace and truth,

forgive us,

heal us,

correct us.

Then open our lips,

that we may sing your praise with the angels,

and remake our lives,

that we may witness to your transforming love.

Through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Assurance Of Pardon Reading

Break forth together into singing,

you ruins of Jerusalem;

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.

People of God, through the coming of Jesus Christ,

whose birth we celebrate,

the Lord has comforted and redeemed us too!

In Christ we receive the salvation of our God.

Glory to God in the highest!

– based on Isaiah 52:9-10, Luke 2:14, NRSV

Prayer For Illumination

Mighty God,

the shepherds of old were full of your praises,

saying that all they had heard and seen

was mirrored by what they had been told.

Move among us now with your Holy Spirit,

that we too might hear and experience

the wonder and joy of the living Word

as we seek to welcome the written Word into our lives.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Call To Worship, Open Responses For Christmas (Prayers Of Adoration and Invocation)