The Naming and Circumcision Of Jesus
January 1, 2021
A Liturgy for Meditation and Contemplation
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.
Proverbs 22:1
Centering In Preparation
Let us in the stillness and quiet of this moment
ponder in our hearts the message of Christmas
and what it means that God has come into our world.
Prayer
Almighty God,
whose blessèd Child was circumcised
in obedience to the law for our sake
and given the Name that is above every name:
give us grace faithfully to bear the Name,
to worship in the freedom of the Spirit,
and to proclaim the Holy One as the Savior of the world;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Philippians 2
If our life in the Only Begotten, Beloved One, Anointed by God,
means anything to you—if love,
or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness or sympathy can persuade you at all—
then be united in your convictions and united in your love,
with a common purpose and a common mind.
That is the one thing that would make me completely happy.
There must be no competition among you, no conceit, but everybody is to be humble:
value others over yourselves,neach of you thinking of the interests of others before your own.
Your attitude must be the same as that of the Anointed One Jesus:
The Only Begotten, Beloved One, though in the image of God,
didn’t deem equality with God
something to be clung to—
but instead became completely empty
and took on the image of oppressed humankind:
born into the human condition,
found in the likeness of a human being.
the Anointed one of God was thus humbled—
obediently accepting death,
even death on a cross!
Because of this, God highly exalted the Only Begotten and Beloved One,
and gave to the Anointed One the name above every other name,
so that at the name of Jesus (God is my savior)
every knee must bend in the heavens,
on the earth and under the earth,
and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God.
Psalm 8
O God Most High, God of Hosts, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your Name in all the earth!
You have placed your glory above the heavens!
From the lips of infants and children
you bring forth words of power and praise,
to answer your adversaries
and to silence the hostile and vengeful.
When I behold your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
what is humanity that you should be mindful of us?
Who are we that you should care for us?
You have made us barely less than God,
and crowned us with glory and honor.
You have made us responsible
for the works of your hands,
putting all things at our feet—
all sheep and oxen, yes, even the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, the fish of the sea
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O God Most High, God of Hosts, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your Name in all the earth!
Luke 2
When the angels had returned to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see this event
that God has made known to us.”
They hurried and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger;
once they saw this, they reported what they had been told concerning the child.
All who heard about it were astonished at the report given by the shepherds.
Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart.
The shepherds went away glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,
just as they had been told.
When the eighth day arrived for the child’s circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Luke 2
When the day came for them to be purified, as laid down by the Law of Moses,
the couple took Jesus up to Jerusalem and presented him to God.
For it’s written in the Law of our God, “Every firstborn heir is to be consecrated to God.”
They likewise came to offer in sacrifice “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,”
in accord with the dictate of the Law of our God.
Now there lived in Jerusalem a man named Simeon.
He was devout and just, anticipating the consolation of Israel,
and he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
She, the Holy Spirit of God, had revealed to Simeon that he wouldn’t see death
until he had seen the Messiah of God.
Prompted by her, Simeon came to the Temple;
and when the parents brought in the child to perform the customary rituals of the Law,
he took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Now, O God, you can dismiss your servant in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the peoples to see—
a light of revelation to the Gentiles
and the glory of your people Israel.”
As the child’s mother and father stood there marveling at the things
that were being said, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, the mother,
“This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that is rejected,
so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.
And a sword will pierce your heart as well.”
There was a woman named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher, who was also a prophet.
She had lived a long life, seven years with her husband,
and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.
She never left the Temple, worshiping day and night,
fasting and praying.
Coming up at that moment, she gave thanks to God
and talked about the child to all who anticipated the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When the couple had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the Law of God,
they returned to Galilee and their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew in size and strength.
He was filled with wisdom,
and the grace of God was with him.
Prayer
Gracious God,
God of light,
God of life,
God of all that is
You come to us
in the darkness
of the night
and call us by name
Give us, we pray
the grace
to hear you . . .
the hope to see you . . .
the love needed
to mend
a broken world.
Help us
to be your
hands
your heart
your hope.
Be with us, we pray
with those
who suffer,
with those
who weep,
with those
dying
this night/day
and give us, we pray
your peace.
Amen.
—http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2012/01/sunday-prayer-chrisbas-iholy-namenew.html
Prayer
We join with the whole world to give you thanks and praise, O God,
and telling of the greatness of your name.
From the moment you created and named every living thing
your handiwork has been a source of awe and wonder.
Like the moon and stars you set in place,
your face has shone upon us and blessed us with peace.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son,
born of woman and named by angels,
so that we too might be adopted by you,
and through your Spirit, the treasure of our hearts,
live worthily of the name you have given us.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
—Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Sending Forth
Go now, glorifying and praising God
for all you have heard and seen.
You have been named as God’s adopted children:
Live worthily of the glory with which God has dressed you.
And may God bless you and keep you.
May Christ Jesus make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
And may the Spirit smile upon you and give you peace.
We go in peace to love and serve God,
in the name of Christ. Amen.
—Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net