Christmastide 3

Lord and God,

You heard, you saw, you knew. You ransomed captive Israel; redeemed the slave and brought out a son. but would the people hear, see, and know you? Could we believe in you and your newly revealed name? We heard the words, saw the signs, and believed you had visited us once; we worshiped long enough to be delivered from Egypt, but not long enough to enter the land.

True Son, Nicodemus confessed signs instead of your name, and you raised the bar: he must be born again. He was confounded by you, and so are we: we hear, but cannot see or know without the mysterious movement of your Spirit. As your people were reborn through water once, so we must be born again of water and Spirit.

Renew us today, not by signs of great power, but by the sign of our weakness and need for cleansing. Testify to us by the Spirit of God of the man who lifts up the serpent as he himself is exalted on the cross. Help us to believe in the name of God that we may have access to heaven by the one who descended from heaven. Help us to become ourselves true sons and daughters, to have life in your name. For you entrusted yourself to God. You believe, and you will look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. You have come to take us with you. Hallelujah!