May our Immortal,
Preeminent, Almighty God
fill you with the hope, joy,
peace, and love of Christ.
As light spreads from row to row
and person to person,
may it remind you of the One
who in infinite power, majesty, and strength
chose to come near to His beloved children
in the form of a Child Himself.
May the closeness of the light
and the sharing of its glow
stir in you a gratefulness
for the closeness of our King
and a yearning to share the love He radiates
with all those He places in your path.
This Christmas,
may you know the love of your Savior,
who was the King robed in swaddling clothes
and enthroned in a manger,
the Lord whose triumphal entry
was proclaimed to lowly shepherds
out in the fields at night,
and the Immortal God who chose
to be dependent upon a young couple
finding shelter in a barn in Bethlehem.
May knowing the love of Jesus
be like the carrying of your candle now,
which not only brings comfort, warmth,
and vision in the darkness,
but also connects you to the family of God
that surrounds you now.
May we join together in worship,
giving glory to our greatest gift—
Immanuel, God with us.