Saturday, December 16: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Saturday, December 16: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing Imagine Norah O’Donnell on CBS News leading with the teaser: “‘Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled’. More after this brief message.” Every day we are bombarded with messages, commercial, political, personal, true, false… How would we respond to […]
Friday, December 15: The Christmas Song
Friday, December 15: The Christmas Song The Christmas Song has all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas; turkey, carols, children anticipating the sight of flying reindeer and toys fresh off Santa’s’ sleigh! It’s all so wonderful, cheery and bright. The real world is not always so cheery and bright. The first Christmas was not cheery […]
Thursday, December 14: The First Noel
Thursday, December 14: The First Noël She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1:21 NIV It is widely known that Noël is the French word for Christmas, but do you know the original origin of the […]
Wednesday, December 13: The Little Drummer Boy
Wednesday, December 13: The Little Drummer Boy I’ve always pictured the little drummer boy as a shepherd, taking his handmade drum out to the fields to help him stay awake on those overnight watches or possibly banging on it to call other shepherds or to scare the wolves and other predators away from the flock. […]
Tuesday, December 12: We Three Kings of Orient Are
Tuesday, December 12: We Three Kings of Orient Are Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) It’s often difficult for people to understand that Jesus was born just like us. […]
Monday, December 11: What Child is This?
Monday, December 11: What Child is This? But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem. -Luke 2:10-11a, NIV What a night! Christ the King entered […]
Sunday, December 10: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Sunday, December 10: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or […]
Saturday, December 9: O Little Town of Bethlehem
Saturday, December 9: O Little Town of Bethlehem This song started as a poem for a group of Philadelphia Sunday school children, and eventually became a celebrated Christmas hymn. It was written by the pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia, Phillips Brooks, in 1867, during his pilgrimage on horseback from Jerusalem […]
Friday, December 8: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Friday, December 8: We Wish You a Merry Christmas When I hear “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” for the first time each season, my first thought is, “Wow! Christmas is coming!” and I am filled with fresh joy. Then, however, the singers reach the verses. “Now, bring us some figgy pudding… We won’t go […]
Thursday, December 7: Silver Bells
Thursday, December 7: Silver Bells Isn’t it interesting how the ordinary can take on a different form during the Christmas holiday season? “Silver Bells” mentions the Christmassy red and green of the traffic lights and the laughter of children, yet those are around three hundred sixty-five days a year. We see things differently during the […]