I have come to love the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College Cambridge on each Christmas Eve. In addition to the singing, I am always struck by the Bidding Prayer, which always begins the service.
The Bidding Prayer:
Beloved in Christ, at this
Christmas-tide let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the
angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing
which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manager. Therefore let us read
and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the
first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought to us by
this Holy Child. But first, let us pray for the needs of the whole world; for
peace on earth and goodwill among all his people; for unity and brotherhood
within the Church he came to build, and especially in this our community. And
because this would rejoice his heart, let us remember, in his name, the poor
and helpless, the cold, the hungry, and the oppressed; the sick and them that
mourn, the lovely and the unloved, the aged and the little children; all those
who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved
his heart of love. Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice
with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which
no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the
Lord Jesus we are one for evermore. These prayers and praises let us humbly
offer up to the Throne of Heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught
us: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name...
especially these lines:
Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are one for evermore.
No comments:
Post a Comment