Ancestral wandering in the dark
Long strange journey of desert flight
Looking for signs of presence and promise
Guided by pillars of smoke and fire
Struggling to trust.
Ancestral pleading in the kingdoms
Leaders corrupt and cruel, Torah abandoned
Looking for signs of caring reign
Guided by renewal of Davidic covenant
Struggling to trust.
Ancestral cries from a foreign land
Separated from place, tradition, and holy mountain
Looking for signs of divine justice
Guided by prophetic judgment and faith
Struggling to trust.
Ancestral prayers of deliverance again
Poor and blind, oppressed and prisoner - waiting
Looking for signs of messianic relief
Guided by a man and woman in census pilgrimage
Yearning to trust
Angels and stars
rolled text and Holy Spirit
guide us to the stall
where holy and humanity join in newborn flesh
Testament of Divine trust.
Signs of Emmanuel, God with us
From when holy breath gave way to primordial life
From when barrenness gave way to miraculous birth
From when unlikely characters gave way to amazing deed
From when angels announced a new way.
Always struggling to grow in trust.
Signs of Emmanuel, God with us
Born this night in humble circumstance
Born this night to a world in turmoil
Born this night to proclaim death to evil
and life over death
If we but trust.
Signs of Emmanuel, God with us
Cries from scriptural past
emanate from the depths of technology-weary souls.
Modern wanderers cling to
fantastic stories, old and unbelievable.
Desperate to trust.
Signs of Emmanuel, God with us
pleading for hope
crying for presence
praying for promise
found in a human God
Who trusts humanity to do holy work.
Guided by mystical meaning
down a star-lit road to Bethlehem
into the chilly depths of baptismal waters
standing steadfast by a pain-filled cross
astonished at a joyously empty tomb
Knowing that trust is the only way.
On this night a Savior is born
on this night our faith is given new life
on this night we wait not for sparkling gifts
but for Signs of Emmanuel, God with us
Trusting in the One who trusted human arms
to wrap the Christ and us in everlasting love.
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