Twilight comes,
and the rush of traffic
and unfinished business is replaced
by the babble of evening news,
with its unending litany of shock and sorrow.
With weary bodies and troubled souls,
we gather here to welcome the night –
to seek respite from the world’s woes,
to find solace in community
and be reminded of our true humanity,
Tonight we come not only hoping –
but longing, yearning, crying
for a better world.
We don’t really seek tinsel or baubles,
We don’t really need gift-wrapped amusements,
We hunger for hope.
We crave peace.
We beg for mercy
between neighbours and strangers,
between tribes and nations.
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
This is a night for dreaming-
of what our world might be
and who we could become,
of what can be left behind
and what new path might be taken –
of the broken being healed,
of the lost being uplifted,
of chains being shattered,
and enemies reconciled.
Can we be open
to receiving such grace
as a gift this night?
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
May we wait expectantly this eve.
May heaven and earth embrace.
May age-old promises prove true.
May we finally believe
that God’s will might be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
This is a dreaming place.
So, may a fresh word be heard.
May deep wisdom be revealed.
May daring promises be proclaimed.
May grace be reborn among us this night.
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
Craig Mitchell, 2025.