Wednesday, November 15, 2017

50 Christmas Songs of Hope

ADVENT...

11.11.17 
PREPARE THE WAY 
Isaiah 40:3 GNT
A voice cries out,“Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord! Clear the way in the desert for our God! 

Prepare the way, O Zion, Your Christ is drawing near!
Let every hill and valley a level way appear.
Greet One who comes in glory, foretold in sacred story.
O blest is Christ that came In God’s most holy name.
(#13B, Franzen, Price, 1980, verse 1)

Advent is upon us -
A time of preparation.
We wrap gifts, 
we decorate homes,
We bake and clean.
How well do we prepare our hearts
For the coming of Christ?

In the midst of Christmas preparations, Lord, may I also make ready my heart. Amen. 

Image: Death Valley NP, California
11.12.17 
COMFORT, COMFORT YOU MY PEOPLE
Isaiah 40:4 GNT
Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain and the rough country will be made smooth. 

Make you straight what long was crooked, Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits God’s holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord Now o’er earth is shed abroad;
And all flesh shall see the token That God’s word is never broken.
(#3B, Olearius, 1671, verse 3)

Make straight the crooked,
Make smooth the rough,
Correct faults, repent of sin.
Preparation involves change.
The directions, old or new, are very clear!

Help me to smooth out the rough places of my life, Lord. Amen.



11.13.17   HAIL TO THE LORD’S ANOINTED
Psalm 72:1-2 GNT

Teach the king to judge with your righteousness, O God; share with him your own justice,so that he will rule over your people with justice and govern the oppressed with righteousness. 

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free,
To take away transgression and rule in equity.
(#146R – Montgomery, 1822, verse 1)

Anointed. Marked. Chosen by God.
We celebrate the coming of the Christ.
But we are also anointed,
Not with oil but with baptismal waters,
Marked by the Holy Spirit
and chosen by God to do God’s work.
Our time has come as well.


May I live into my own calling as a chosen one of God. Amen.


11.14.17  LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
Habakkuk 2:20

“But oh! God is in his holy Temple! Quiet everyone—a holy silence. Listen!” 

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.
(#5B, Liturgy of St. James, 4th century, verse 1)

Silence the prophet said.
Silence to hear God whisper.
Silence in which to fully worship
Without the blather of the everyday.
Listen to the sacred.
God speaks. God is coming.

May I seek silent moments and waken to your presence, Lord. Amen.



Image: Rose from Margaret Taylor's garden with rain drops
11.15.17 LO! HOW A ROSE 'ER BLOOMING
Song of Solomon 2:1   I am a rose of Sharon, a lily found in one of the valleys.

Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse..

Isaiah ‘twas foretold it the rose I have in mind.
With Mary we behold it, the Virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a Savior when half spent was the night.
(#48B, German Carol, 15th century, verse 2)

The Rose of Sharon,
Shoots from Jesse’s stump,
Perfection from the ordinary,
A king from a humble birth.
However we reference the event,
God is coming to us.

Lord, may I see your face in every rose I bend down to smell. Amen. 




11.16.17 
ON JORDAN’S BANK THE BAPTIST’S CRY
Matthew 3:1-3

On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of Kings!
(#10B, Coffin, 1736, verse 1)

Awake and harken!
Come alive! Be aware!
A modern ‘Baptist’ may proclaim.
Our Lord is here. RIGHT here.
Yet we fail to notice, fail to recognize,
The God alive in one another.


Open my eyes, open my heart, Lord, to your presence here today. Amen. 




11.17.17 THE ANGEL GABRIEL FROM HEAVEN CAME
Luke 1:26-28

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
All hail,” said he, “O lowly maiden Mary,”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
(#16B, Baring-Gould, 1834-1924, verse 1)

Snow and flame. Cold and hot.
Hardly angelic descriptions.
But God doesn’t work in the ordinary.
God sends messengers we least expect,
When we least expect them.


Lord, make me mindful of your messengers AND the messages of hope they bring. Amen. 



 11.18.17  WATCHMAN, TELL US OF THE NIGHT
Isaiah 21:11-12
Watchman, tell us of the night, what its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o’er yon mountains’ height, see that glory beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes; it brings the day, Promised day of Israel.
(#20B, Bowring, 1825, verse 1)

Glory-beaming stars,
Celestial bodies that linger with love-light
above the silhouette of earth,
Announcing again and again,
The promise of hope Christ brings.


May I see the hope of love that lights the sky each night. Amen.





11.19.17  
LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, YE MIGHTY GATES
Psalm 24:7-10
Fling wide the portals of your heart; Make it a temple, set apart.
From earthly use for heaven’s employ, Adorned with prayer, and love, and joy.
(#8B, Weissel, 1642, verse 2)

Gates are openings
That allow entry into sacred ground.
How wide is the entrance to my heart?
Am I ready to fully let Christ in,
Prepared for the change that can take place?


Lord, make a temple of my heart, ready for service in your name. Amen. 


11.20.17  
PEOPLE LOOK EAST
French folk melody, Verse 1

People, look east, the time is near 
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People look east and sing today; 
Love the guest is on the way.
(#12B, Farjeon, 1964, verse 1)

Who will we invite to join our celebration?
What guests will sit at our table?
Love or Intolerance? Compassion or Apathy?
Look out beyond the comfortable doors
And seek the Christ child -
LOVE, the guest, is on the way.


May I look east and west, Lord, for those who might join my table. Amen.


11,21,17 CREATOR OF THE STARS OF NIGHT
Philippians 2:10-11
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.

When this old world drew on toward night, 
You came, but not in splendor bright,
Not as a monarch, but the child
 of Mary, blameless mother mild.
(#4, Neale, 1851, verse 2)

God comes, not in royal trappings,
Not as monarch or king bedecked in gold.
God comes in unexpected form:
A defenseless baby with humble birth.
Glory be to our Unpredictable God!


Prepare me, Lord, for the unexpected, for often it is your presence in disguise. Amen. 
 
11.22.17  SAVIOR OF THE NATIONS COME
Isaiah 49:6
...but I will also make you a light to the nations—so that all the world may be saved.”

Savior of the nations, come, 
Virgin’s Son, here make Thy home.
Marvel now. O heaven and earth, 
That the Lord chose such a birth.
Not by human flesh and blood,
 By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh, 
Woman’s Offspring, pure and fresh.
He will come, he will come, 
He will come down and rescue us.
(Ambrose, circa 350, verse 1)

God is sending a life ring -
Something firm to grab and hold
Rescue of spirit and soul.
Have we reached out and
Pulled ourselves out of the waters?


Lord, salvation is at hand. May we reach out and claim it. Amen.

11.23.17 
COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS
Acts 13:32
And we are here to bring the Good News to you: what God promised our ancestors he would do, he has now done for us..

Come, thou long expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
(#2B, Wesley, 1744, verse 1)

Fear can hold us captive
With unseen chains that tie us down,
Our soul caught behind bars of uncertainty.
God promises release and
God is fulfilling that pledge:
Hope and Love will set us free.


Lord, free me from my fears to fully serve you in love. Amen. 


11.24.17  O COME O COME EMMANUEL

Isaiah 7:14 M Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She’ll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us)

O come, O come Emmanuel, 
 and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here 
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel 
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
(#9B, Neale, 1851, verse 1)

Emmanuel. God-with-us.
No longer a God ‘out there’.
But God dwelling with us,
Among us, In us, through us.
Rejoice! Rejoice!


Help me remember ‘Emmanuel’, Lord, and your dwelling within. Amen.


CHRISTMAS...

11.25.17  
ONCE IN ROYAL 
DAVID’S CITY 
Luke 2:7 V
 She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

He came down to earth from heaven Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall.
With the poor, oppressed, and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy.
(#49B, Alexander, 1848, verse 2)

How often do we view
the poor and oppressed as holy?
How rarely do we see the sacred in the ‘soiled’?
Yet in the humble, God rests.
In the lowly, God lives.
Perhaps we need to open our eyes wider.


Open my eyes, God, to see your face where I least expect it. Amen.


11.26.17  'TWAS IN THE MOON OF WINTERTIME

Within a lodge of broken bark, 
The tender Babe was found
A ragged robe of rabbit skin 
Enwrapped His beauty round
And as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high:
Jesus, your King, is born. 
Jesus is born. In excelsis gloria.
(Brebeuf, 1642, Native American Huron, verse 2)

A Jesuit priest in Canada
Serving the Huron Native Americans
Wove the tale of Christ’s birth
Using symbols the people could identify
And in so doing wrote the first
Christmas Carol of the Americas.


Help us, God, to share your story with words to which others can relate. Amen.  




11.27.17 DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR
Written by Noel Regney in 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Said the king to the people everywhere, listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere! Listen to what I say
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light.
(Regney, 1962, verse 4)

A song of peace from the 60’s,
Written while nuclear war threatened
Seems somehow appropo today
While nations continue to battle.
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
The Child CAN bring us goodness and light!


We pray, O Child of goodness and light, for peace. Amen.




11.28.17  GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
The origins and lyrics of this African American spiritual are fuzzy, but John Wesley Work made it popular with publication in an anthology of spirituals. 

While shepherds kept their watching Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens there shone a holy light.
Go tell it on the mountain over the hills and every where,
Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!
(Work,1907, verse 1)

Go tell it on the mountain!
I’ll shout it from the mountaintop!
Lyrics of two eras, two cultures
Both proclaim the angel message
Of good news for all!

May I sing out the good news of Christ everywhere! Amen. 




11.29.17  I WONDER AS I WANDER
Luke 1:70
He promised through his holy prophets long ago...

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.
(Niles, 1933, based on an Appalachian Carol, verse 2)

Promises, promises.
They are often empty in modern times.
But God holds true to covenants.
God promised a Savior,
And God delivered.
I swear to God” can we say the same?


Help me hold true to my promises, O God, as you delivered on yours. Amen. 


11.30.17  THERE’S A SONG IN THE AIR 
Luke 2:13 MSG
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises...

There’s a song in the air! 
 There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer 
and a baby’s low cry!
And the star rains its fire 
while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem 
cradles a King.
(Holland, 1872, verse 1)

There are times when music
Seems to truly fill the air
And the sounds of heaven
Echo among the stars,
As the glory and voice of God
Gently lights upon us in LOVE.


May I hear your music, O God, and feel your Love-Light rain upon me. Amen.


12.1.17  SOME CHILDREN SEE HIM
Matthew 5:8 MSG
You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

The children in each different place 
will see the baby Jesus’ face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace, and filled with holy light.
O lay aside each earthly thing 
and with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King, 
‘Tis love that’s born tonight!
(Hutson-Burt, 1951, verse 3)

How do you see the baby Jesus?
With pale skin, rosy cheeks and blond tresses
Or ebony hued with kinky black curls?
Slanted eyes or high cheek bones?
Looking inward, we see the baby as ourselves.
With holy hearts, we should simply see GOD.

Physical appearances matter not, God, if we see you in the face of your Son. Amen.
Interesting continued reading....


12.2.17   
MARY’S BOY CHILD 
Luke 2:12 MSG
This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

Long time ago in Bethlehem So the Holy Bible say
Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day.
Hark now hear the angels sing A king was born tonight.
And man will live forever more because of Christmas Day.
(Hairston, 1956, verse 3)

A calypso beat for a birthday tune
Reworked for Christmas as a spiritual-
The stories behind the songs are fascinating!
The message of the songs eternal:
Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ,
Was born on Christmas Day!”


Lord, your message comes in many ways, may we truly hear it. Amen.


12.3.17  MARY DID YOU KNOW?
Luke 1:38 GNT
I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.”

Mary did you know that your baby boy will some day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.
(Lowry, 1991, verse 1)

Zechariah was old, mature and wise,
Yet he doubted God.
Mary was just a young teen,
but willing to serve God however God determined.
Did Mary know what lay ahead? Do we?
We don’t need the answers when we trust the Designer.

May I answer your call, Lord, even when I don’t understand. Amen. 



12.4.17  
IN BETHLEHEM A BABE WAS BORN 
Luke 2:11 GNT
This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! 

The mystery of Bethlehem 
was long ago, they say,
But miracle of miracles, 
the Baby lives today
In each new heart that hears 
Love coming through the years,
Singing, ‘Come, come, Christ is born! Come, come, world forlorn,
The Child of peace and sacrifice is waiting to be found.”
(Mays, 1986, verse 3)

Mysteries and miracles.
Hearts that ‘hear’ Love.
A Child of Peace waiting to be found.
Come, World! Come!
The Baby indeed lives today
In you and in me.

God of all miracles, may we find Love as we approach the manger. Amen. 


12.5.17   
GENTLE MARY LAID HER CHILD 
Luke 2:7 V
She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

Gentle Mary laid her child 
Lowly in a manger;
There he lay, the undefiled, 
to the world a stranger.
Such a babe in such a place, 
Can he be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race 
Who have found His favor.
(Cook 1919, verse 1)

A manger, a feeding trough
Stable-soiled and scratchy hay.
This is how God brings a Savior?
Yet humble and soiled beginnings
Open the door to all our shortcomings,
And Savior is no longer a stranger.


In our rough and soiled lives, God, come to us. Amen. 


12.6.17 
STILL, STILL, STILL 
Luke 2:16 paraphrased
So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby sleeping in the manger.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, 
He lies in slumber deep.
While angel hosts from heaven 
come winging,
Sweetest songs of joy are singing,
Sleep, sleep, sleep, 
He lies in slumber deep.
(Gotsch, 1810, Austrian carol, verse 2)

The stable was a noisy place,
Cows mooing and sheep baaing.
Shepherds coming and going.
But a gentle lullaby song
Sung by the God of Creation
Reminds us to seek peace in a troubled world.


Sing to me, Lord, that I might pause and rest in these hectic days. Amen. 




12,7,17 
I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY
Widowed with 6 children and eldest son gravely injured in Civil War battle, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow finds hope in the midst of conflict and despair.

Then pealed the bells more 
loud and deep:
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.
(Longfellow, 1863, last stanza)

Reading the first lines of Longfellow’s poem,
One hears words of despair and conflict.
A world lacking in Christmas peace.
But ‘God is not dead nor doth He sleep’!
Hope is in the song of the bells.
Listen to the sound of hope around us.

Lord, as we seek to right the wrongs, may we keep the spirit of hope in our hearts. Amen.



12.8.17  
WHAT CHILD IS THIS?
William Dix, an insurance manager in Glasgow, Scotland, first wrote these lines as a poem ‘The Manger Song’ following a period of bed-rest and spiritual awakening. 

What child is this, who, laid to rest 
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh-come, peasant, king, to own Him;
This, this is Christ the King!
(Dix, 1865, first lines of three verses, refrain)

Questions and answers – 
Who? Why?
A lowly, humble birth, 
yet royal gifts.
An open invitation to 
rich and poor alike,
And the glorious response,
This, this is Christ the King!”


Help me live each day, Lord, knowing the whos and whys of Mary’s child. Amen.

12,9.17  
ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY 
Matthew 1:23 GNT
A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel (which means, “God is with us”)

Shepherds in the fields abiding, 
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing; 
Yonder shines the infant Light.
Come and worship, Come and worship,
Worship Christ the newborn King.
(Montgomery, 1825, verse 2)

Shepherds were not high society,
They were unkept, often dirty.
They smelled like...SHEEP!
Yet God spoke to them:
Emmanuel! I am coming to be with you!
Go! Worship my presence in a tiny baby!


May we heed God’s voice and feel God-with-us, Emmanuel. Amen.

12.10.17  
RISE UP SHEPHERD AND FOLLOW 
Luke 2:15-16a GNT
The shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.” So they hurried off..

There’s a star in the East on Christmas morn,
Rise up shepherd and follow.
It will lead to the place where the Christ was born.
Rise up shepherd and follow.
Follow, follow, 
rise up shepherd and follow.
Follow the star of Bethlehem, 
rise up, shepherd, and follow.
(African-American spiritual, verse 1)

Follow. Just go and follow.
Jesus gives the same command
to a group of fishermen 30 years later.
Follow a star, follow a man,
Follow to find God.
Do I have the courage to follow?


Lord, may I have the faith to follow in spite of my fears. Amen. 



12.11.17  
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH 
Luke 2:14 GNT
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”

Angels we have heard on high 
sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply 
echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! 
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
(French Carol, verse 1)

A heavenly chorus in proclamation
with Creation responding in turn.
But, as part of Creation, have we     replied?
How well do we echo the song of  angels?
How boldly do we share the Good News?
Sing out! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!


May I live a bold echo of the Gloria of your Son, O God. Amen.


12.12.17  THE FRIENDLY BEASTS 
Romans 12:6 NIV
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

Thus every beast remembering it well
In the stable dark was so proud to tell
Of the gifts that they gave Emmanuel
The gifts that they gave Emmanuel.
(Old French Carol, 12th century, last verse)

By the grace of God
We all have gifts to share,
Individual and unique to our spirit.
When we withhold our gifts,
We break the circle of love
That binds us all, man and beast, together.


Open my heart, Lord, to share freely that which you have given to me. Amen.  




12.13.17  
THE DRUMMER BOY 
Matthew 2:11
When they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.

Little baby … I am a poor boy too….
I have no gift to bring ….That's fit to give our King
Shall I play for you...on my drum?
(KK Davis, 1941, verse 2)

He comes with the Magi,
But no gift worthy of royalty.
So he offers what he has.
We have nothing to offer God,
But our hearts and souls,
And God smiles when we play. 


Transform my humble gifts, Lord, to bring joy to others. Amen.




12.14.17 
IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER
Originally a poem under the title ‘A Christmas Carol’ published in 1872. Set to music for a hymn in 1906.

In the bleak mid-winter, 
frosty wind made moan.
Earth stood hard as iron, 
Water like a stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow.
Snow on snow, 
in the bleak mid-winter, Long ago.
(Rossetti, 1872, verse 1)

We all have winters of life -
When events and relationships seem frozen,
Our hearts as stone, circumstances in chaos,
And the darkness overwhelming.
But the warmth of Christ-Light comes,
And brings a new resurrection of Spirit.


Help me, Lord, to find the beauty and Light in the midst my winters. Amen. 


12.15.17  INFANT HOLY, INFANT LOWLY 
Luke 2:7 GNT
She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

Infant holy, infant lowly, For His bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, Little knowing Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging Angels singing, Noels ringing, Tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
(Polish Carol, verse 1)

No room. No bed. Homeless.
The townfolk were clueless.
The animals ignored him.
Little knowing’ - is this how we see Christ?
Are we missing God here and now,
In this place and time?

Lord, may I be swift to recognize and ring out your Good News. Amen. 



12.16.17  
NO SMALL WONDER 
Luke 2:10 GNT
The angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people.

Small wonder the star, small wonder the light,
The angels in chorus, the shepherds in fright:
but stable and manger for God- no small wonder!
(Wigmore, 1983, verse 1)

Awe, surprise, admiration.
Wonder is never a minor act!
Yet these verses all contain a ‘But’ -
A however that encompasses the absolute glory of all Creation:
The birth of Emmanuel - God-with-us.
No small wonder.


Keep the wonder, the excitement, of Christmas in our hearts, Lord. Amen. 




12.17.17  
IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR

Luke 2: 14 GNT
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”

Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world hath suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing.
(Sears, 1849)

A Christmas song with no mention at all
of the birth of Jesus Christ!
Yet the angels repeatedly proclaim,
Peace on Earth! Goodwill to men!’
Civil War, World Wars, current strife
May we truly hear the angels sing.


God of Peace, may we respond to the angel chorus and bring your peace to our world. Amen. 



12.18.17  O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL 
Luke 2:15 GNT
The shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.”

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O Come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
(Wade, c1740, verse 1)

What does it mean to adore?
Love, respect, cherish, or treasure;
Glorify, praise or worship.
Do I just mention Jesus at Christmas,
with a nod of recognition, a token notice?
O Come, let us ADORE Him, with joyful hearts!

Lord, help me truly adore Christ as the centerpiece of my Christmas celebration. Amen.



12.19.17  
O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM 
Micah 5:2 MSG
But you, Bethlehem, David’s country, the runt of the litter -
From you will come the leader who will sheoherd-rule Israel. 

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see Thee lie,
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
(Brooks, 1868, verse 1)

If God were to ‘Emmanuel’ again,
Now, two thousands years later;
Or here, in Baker Valley,
would Haines or Durkee or Sumpter be our Bethlehem?
Humble, unknown, yet birthing a Savior?


Only you, God, know the potential that lies within each person or place. May we recognize the Bethlehem in one another. Amen. 




12.20.17 THE FIRST NOEL 
Luke 2:20 GNT
The shepherds went back, singing praise
s to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

The First Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
(Sandys & Gilbert, 1823, verse 1)

English Nowell, French Noel,
Latin natalis – Nativity.
A Happy Birthday song!
The first Christmas two thousand years past.
Poor shepherds to all mankind -
Christ was born for us all.


May we joyfully sing Noel, Happy Birthday, to you, Lord, each and every day. Amen. 




12.21.17 HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING 
Luke 2:14 NKJV
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Hail! the heav'n born Prince of peace! Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die:
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"
(Wesley, 1739, verse 3)

Listen! The angels bring a message,
They sing of joy and good news: 
God! Emmanuel! One of us!
Fragile, innocent, and dependent – a baby!
Do we all have the potential for a second birth?
A birth of God-IN-us? YES!


God-among-us, God-within-me, may I sing the song with the angels. Amen. 



12.22.17  O HOLY NIGHT 
Luke 2:1-20

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
(Cappeau,1847, verse 3)

Penned by a poet who would leave the faith,
Set to music by a Jew.
Beloved, then banned, by the French Catholics,
Brought to America for abolitionist purposes,
The melody brought ceasefire during a war.
Cantique de Noel – truly a holy song with a holy history.

Holy God, may praise, love, and peace be our holy response. Amen.





12.23.17 
AWAY IN A MANGER 
Luke 2:7 MSG
She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
(Unknown lyricist,1885, verse 1)

Unknown sources, slippery theology,
yet beloved and sung worldwide,
The song speaks to the child in all of us:
We are safe in the arms of God.


Be near us, Lord, Jesus, we ask Thee to stay. Amen. 


12.24.17  
SILENT NIGHT 
Luke 2:10-14

Silent night, holy night! 
 All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child. 
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, 
 Sleep in heavenly peace.
(Mohr, 1818, verse 1)

There is a calm in silence,
A whisper from God in the stillness of night,
A sacred beauty in the darkness pierced by light,
A holiness that opens our hearts
To the wonder, 
the miracle of Jesus’ birth.
Emmanuel. Feel it, deep within. God-with-us.


On this holy night where heaven and earth join together, fill our hearts with peace, O God. Amen.




12.25.17  
JOY TO THE WORLD 
Luke 2:10 GNT
The angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people.”

Joy to The world! the Lord is come, Let earth receive her King
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing.
(Watts, 1719, verse 1)

Make room in our hearts for joy!
Make space in our lives for love!
Receive Emmanuel, welcome God.Sing the songs of Christmas together with the angels!
Hallelujah! The Lord is come!
Hallelujah! Christ is born!May we sing out the joy of Christmas every day of the new year, God-with-us. Amen. 


EPIPHANY...

12.26.17  THE STAR CAROL 
Matthew 2:10 MSG
Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child.

Dear Baby Jesus, how tiny Thou art,
I’ll make a place for Thee in my heart,
And when the stars in the heavens I see,
Ever and always I think of thee.
(Hutson, 1954, verse 3)

Are we like the magi? 
Do we see the promise of the Christ child
When we gaze up at the stars?
Do we see the God-light showering down 
With the light of love and hope?Make a place for God beneath the stars! 


Lord, fill me with the light of your love, keep my eyes on the promise of the star. Amen. 


12.27.17 
WHAT STAR IS THIS WITH BEAMS SO BRIGHT? 
Matthew 2:2 GNT
Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

O Jesus, while the star of grace 
Impels us on to seek Your face,
Let not our slothful hearts refuse 
The guidance of Your light to use.
(Coffin, 1736, verse 3)

Ancient sailors were led by the stars-
A navigational system of guidance.
Can we use such light,
A sparkling dome of God-grace,
To guide our lives as well?
What a compass of Christ-light!May we use the Light God has put before us to guide us through the darkness. Amen.  


12.28.17  
WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE 
Matthew 2:11 GNT
They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.

We three kings of Orient are 
bearing gifts, we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and 
mountain, Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night, 
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, 
Guide us to Thy perfect light.
(Hopkins 1857, verse 1)

Such gifts from God! -
Gifts ready for re-gifting!
Do we live our days bearing gifts?
Do we share our God-given talents
with other trav’lers along the road?
Giving will guide us to the Light!

God-of-the-Ultimate-Gift, guide us to freely give of all you have given to us. Amen.



12.29.17  
CAROL of the EPIPHANY 
Matthew 2:1-12
And so, distinct from all we’d planned,
Among the poorest of the land,
We did what few might understand:
We touched God in a baby’s hand.
(Bell, 1992, verse 5)

What does it mean to touch God?
Not on a throne, not with wealth,
Not with power or prestige.
We touch God in the soft, vulnerable flesh
of the poor and innocent -
We touch God in the hand of Jesus.


God of the humble, touch our hearts that we might freely bless others. Amen.


 
12.30.17
STAR-CHILD
Matthew 16:9 GNT
And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven.”

Star-Child, Earth-Child, 
Go-between of God,
Love Child, Christ Child, 
heaven’s lightning rod,
This year, this year, 
let the day arrive
When Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!
(Murray, 1994, verse 1)

A whole year stretches before us!
Our goal is Christmas alive for everyone,
Each and every day!
We all can be ‘lightning rods’ for God -
Connecting heaven and earth,
Linking all creation with Creator.


May WE be a go-between like Christ, O God, and bring the spirit of Christmas to all.  Amen.  


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