Thursday, December 25, 2003
Welcome to the body, God
posted by John Davies at 12:14 PM
Happy Christmas. In church this morning I recited Martin's excellent 'Flesh of our flesh' from When You Haven't Got a Prayer. And then said this ... the opening line is Martin's, the other words are mine:
Welcome to the body, God.
You were a baby once
So we pray for all babies
So wonderful in their creation
But so demanding in their needs.
Be with all babies,
The loved ones and the unwanted ones,
The well ones and the suffering:
Come to them in their flesh.
Welcome to the body, God.
You were a growing child once,
So we pray for all children and young people,
Enjoying the thrills of discovery and learning,
Suffering the insecurities and pain their changing bodies create.
Be with them as they grow,
The playful ones and the worried,
The lively ones and those in ill health:
Come to them in their flesh.
Welcome to the body, God.
You were an adult once,
So we pray for all in the middle years of life,
Enjoying or enduring the responsibilities of work, parenthood or partnership,
Finding their bodies to be flawed,
Sometimes in good form, sometimes in pain.
Be with all adults,
The fulfilled and the frustrated,
Those in good health, those who are struggling:
Come to them in their flesh.
Welcome to the body, God.
You had to face death once,
So we pray for those in the later stages of life,
And those remembering loved ones who have died.
Struggling with enormous questions about their mortality,
And what comes after for them and those around them.
Be with all at the end of life,
The fearful and the faithful ones,
The patient and the angry ones:
Come to them in their flesh.
So we thank you that you came to us in the flesh,
That you know what it is to be flesh and blood
In all its joys and pains.
Thank you that you will come to us now as we call you,
To be with us in our bodies, in our lives.
This is why we celebrate today, and give thanks.
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john davies
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