St. Nicolai Notes

Prayer for December 12-18, 2021
Sermon Text: Luke 3:7-18 

That we may truly repent of the ways we dishonor You and devalue our neighbors

God of wonders, we worship You with hope and joy! But we also worship You with a measure of trepidation. We hear your prophet calling those who are or would be baptized with words of promise and words of warning.

We hear, specifically, a call to no easy spirituality, but to lives in which we do the work of repentance: changing acts of selfishness, injustice, and deceit into generosity, justice, and truthfulness. We hear that call as one that engages every dimension of our lives, including our work, which we so commonly treat as beyond the scope of your concern.

We hear, as well, the promise of a baptism that immerses our lives in your Spirit and in the purifying passion of your love and holiness. And we know that our repentance is barely begun unless your Spirit works in and among us. We cannot transform ourselves, but You can.

God, sometimes the “good news” sounds more like threat. But we thank You that your prophets, including Jesus, your Chosen One, pointed to the dangers of sustained action or movement in the direction of personal and communal destruction.

May we truly repent of the many ways we dishonor You and devalue our neighbors. Amen.