Blue Christmas Prayer

There are good years and bad years,
hear our prayer O God, for all who are slogging.
You know the tears that slide into pillows at night,
you hear the cries of people at the end of their rope.
We acknowledge that not all is sparkling and bright,
and that people are desperate for glad tidings.
And so we pray for good news;
for children being hurt by their parents,
who fear the people they also love;
for teenagers who struggle because they are being bullied
not just at school, but at home through social media;
for young adults who are caught
in the web of drug addiction;
for adults who have suffered marriage breakdown
and don’t know which way to turn;
for parents who have to choose between
presents under the tree or food on the table;
for those who are out of work,
and don’t know where to find employment;
for seniors who have had multiple losses,
good friends dying, or the loss of a home.
God, you know the particular pain of each one.
Our stories of grief and sickness do not fall unheard.
You gather our stories in your arms,
and in this longest night, you hold them and us,
whispering words of encouragement and hope.
Hope shines like an infinitely distant star,
like a star over Bethlehem.
What we need is angels with good news,
lighting the sky of our lives, offering relief.
On this blue Christmas, in the mystery of your love
transform us into angels, who arrive in time.
The glory of God come through a knock on the door
or a phone call, glory in text messages and emails,
glory in arms around each other.
There are no quick fixes, but we can wait together,
keeping watch over our thoughts by night,
waiting for hope, newborn in the morning.
O God, hear our prayer.