‘Twas the night before Christmas, And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, Not even a mouse.
The children lay dying, their parents were dead,
There was no pudding, there was no bread.

Their stomachs distended, their eyes just a glaze,
They’d eaten nothing, nothing for days.
There were no presents, wrapped in a bow,
No crackers to pull, no songs about snow,

The water had gone, the medicine too,
the diarrhea had not, though the spasms were few.
Jolly Old St Nicholas, did not visit there,
And a world celebrating, declined to care.

Lord, we pray in earnest for those suffering from malnutrition, and poor living conditions. At a time when we are feasting, and celebrating the birth of Jesus, many others are dying. Help us, to help them, and to start a new year with a dedication to ending their suffering.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The bottles were slung, on the floor without care,
And stale cigarette smoke hung on the air

The children were quiet, though not asleep,
Even too frightened to cry or to weep.
The mother lay still, and wondered how long,
The family would last, she must be strong.

The husband lay still, a heap on the floor,
Drunk and unconcious, yelling no more.
Frustrations suppressed, anger subdued,
Troubles forgotten, till tomorrow renewed.

No Christmas cards hanging, Just bills overdue,
No job and no future, in the dole queue.
Jolly Old St Nicholas, did not visit there,
And a world celebrating, declined to care.

Lord, we live in a world where poverty and luxury live side by side. As we spend our Christmas giving presents, and sending cards, others spend theirs in hardship. Families spend their Christmas apart, or locked in battle. The unholy spirit of alcohol darkens the lives of many. We pray for those families who are suffering because of domestic violence. May the Prince of Peace enter their lives and bring calm. We pray for those families crippled by poverty and debt. May the riches that come from your love fill their lives with the joy that transends all difficulties. And may we do more, this coming year, to help them live their lives with dignity and respect.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
For the house was now ashes, and the mice had all perished,
Along with the dreams that the owners had cherished.

The great aussie bush has been put to the flame,
And none could survive when the fire storm came.
The forests was made charcoal, and the air was made smoke,
And heroes were made, out of ordinary folk.

But still it kept burning, with unquenchable thirst,
And hopes for relief vie with fears for the worst.
Jolly Old St Nicholas, did not visit there,
And a world celebrating, declined to care.

Lord, we pray for a world where natural AND man-made disasters can overwhelm us. We pray for those who have lost loved ones or friends in the bushfires and we pray for those who have lost their homes or businesses. In a burnt world of black stumps and white ash, we pray that you will bring colour to their lives, and hope for their futures. And we pray that we might our thanks and support to the many volunteer fire fighters who have given their effort, their time, and in some cases their lives to battle these immense infernos.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The mother lay silent, eyes open wide.
But though she was breathing, there was no-one in side.

The father lay still, in a dreamless sleep,
But soon he would wake again, only to weep.
The knock on the door, that they’d been waiting to hear,
Had filled their hearts to the brim with despair.

Their world lay in pieces, a couple alone,
The daughter they loved, would never come home,
None of their friends, know what to say,
So they leave them to cope, alone everyday.

A road toll statistic, a common enough death,
A line in the paper, a family bereft.
Jolly Old St Nicholas, did not visit there,
And a world celebrating, declined to care.

Lord, we pray for those who have lost their loved ones, in car accidents, through ill health, through crime, or old age. Be their comforter, be their rock. And help us to help them. Where we would be distanct, let us be their support. Where we would be indifferent, let our compassion flow unendingly.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The bombs had all fallen, the night became calm,
And just for a while, no-one did harm.

Even the orphans had fallen asleep,
As images of their parents, danced in their sleep.
A shot echoed somewhere, a cry in the night,
Another dead soldier, to NOT carry on the fight.

An elderly woman, lies on the floor,
Softly crying, and watching the door.
The moon shining brightly, a ghost in the sky,
Then all of a sudden, a harsh screaming cry.

Bombs crashing, More danger, More Panic, More Killing
Shame on it, Oh stupid, Oh dumber blitzi-krieging.
To the victor, the spoils, to the victim, despair,
Now dash away, dash away, dash away hope.

And Suicide bombers, light up the sky
And the rest of the world, pretends not to know why.
Jolly Old St Nicholas, did not visit there,
And a world celebrating, declined to care.

Lord, we pray for the victims of War and terrorism. We pray for peace, and goodwill, not only in the Christmas season, but throughout the year. We pray that those who are angry will be calmed, that those who wish revenge will forgive, that those who are intolerant will learn love. And we pray that we might be able to do all these things. That we might welcome those who come to us for safety. That we might talk of peace rather than war. That the new year will be the start of a new era of peace and harmony.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
But many a friend, that we have seen here before,
Is troubled by problems, they cannot ignore.

They like to keep private, the pain that they feel,
Or to laugh it off lightly, though their suffering is real.
They might have lost family, or experience poor health,
They might have some fear, or a change in their wealth

They might have their family, or they might have none,
Their troubles might be ending, or only just begun.
Jolly Old St Nicholas, did not visit there,
And a world celebrating, declined to care.

Lord, we pray for the people in our congregation, our family, and friends. In Jesus, we are all made the same family. Help us to support them, to pray for them. Help us to love one another, as He loves and supports us.

Amen

 

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