Christmas Day Blessings

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Today we celebrate that Christ has come into our world!
God has touched the earth with feet and breath. Joy to the world indeed!
To celebrate this, try to intentionally notice each thing you touch today:  little things like food and hugs or keys or doorknobs….
Consider blessing things today...
Just like we pray for food to be blessed, we can also lift other things to God; Giving thanks and recognizing that God can use them for good.  This doesn’t give ‘mystical powers’ to physical objects, but it does recognize the goodness of our world—and God’s grace alive in it.
Here are some ideas to get you started...

Blessing of a Nativity Scene
God of every nation and people,
from the very beginning of creation
you have made manifest your love:
when our need for a Savior was great
you sent your Son
to be born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace,
justice, mercy, and love.

Lord,
bless all who look upon this manger;
may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, and raise our thoughts to him,
who is God-with-us and Savior of all,
and who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Blessing of the Tree
(read Psalm 1:1-3, Genesis 2:4-9, Acts 10:39, Revelation 22:1-5)

Pray:
Holy Lord, we come with joy to celebrate the birth of your Son, who rescued us from the darkness of sin by making the cross a tree of life and light.
May this tree, arrayed in splendor, remind us of the life-giving cross of Christ, that we may always rejoice in the new life that shines in our hearts.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.


Blessing of Toys
Special thanks to Rev. Stephen West
When God made Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, he put them in charge of taking good care of the earth. They named the animals and began to work with the land.

Ever since then, girls and boys, women and men have enjoyed not only work but also play. God gave us the ability to make games and invent toys to help us enjoy ourselves and enjoy growing in our love for each other.

The tradition of Christmas gifts for children began with Magi from the East, who brought little Jesus three gifts of delight. So today, let us hold up our toys and hold them high.

(The children—and adults—hold up their toys)

Let’s remember the one who made us, and gave us hearts and minds that love to have fun, to share and to grow as we play.

Let us pray:
Bless our toys, oh Lord. Help us be truly grateful for the time you give us to play.
Help all of our play to be holy play.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.


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