Year's End

A prayer from the “Valley of Vision” that has been one of my favorite for many years is called “Year’s End”.  The prayer is as follows.

O Love beyond Compare,
Thou art good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon me,
when night gathers over me.
Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul;
Thou dost love me still,
in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
Thy goodness has been with me another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway.
Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
With thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation,
thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see thy face the sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.

Prudentius hymn on the Epiphany Stanzas 1-4

Lift up your eyes, whoe'er ye be
That fare the new-born Christ to see:
For yonder is the shining sign
Of grace perennial and divine.

What means this star, whose piercing rays
Outshine the sun's resplendent blaze?
'Tis token sure that God is come
In mortal flesh to make His home.

No courtier of the realms of night
Nor monthly moon's bright acolyte,
This star directs the course of day,
Sole sovereign of the heavenly way.

Although the Bears their track retrace,
Nor wholly their clear beams efface,
Yet ofttimes 'neath the dun cloud's haze
They hide themselves from mortal gaze.

Augustine on Christmas

When the maker of time, the Word of the Father, became flesh,
He gave us His day of birth in time.
Today Christ is born.
And He, without whose bidding no day runs it’s course,
In His incarnation reserved one day for Himself.
God Became man.
For He, Himself, with the Father, precedes all spans of time,
But on this day, issuing from His mother, He stepped into the tide of years.
Glory to God!
Man’s Maker was made man, that He, Ruler of the stars,
Might nurse at His mother’s breast,
That the Bread might be hungry, the Fountain thirst,
The Light sleep, the Way be tired from the journey.
Glory to God, Wonderful circumstance.
The Word was made flesh that the Truth might be accused by false witnesses,
The judge of the living and the dead by judged by a mortal judge.
Justice be sentenced by the unjust, the Teacher be beaten with whips,
The Vine be crowned with thorns, the Foundation be suspended on wood!
That Strength might be made weak, that He who was well might be wounded,
That Life might die.
Alleluia!
Glory to God in the highest!

Prayer after Christmas Day (Thomas Cranmer)

Almighty God, which hast given us thy only begotten son to take our nature upon him, and this day to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy spirit, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy ghost now and ever.  Amen.

Prayer for Christmas Day (from collects of Thomas Cranmer)

God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ, grant that as we joyfully receive him for our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Merry Christmas

How are we to think of the Incarnation? The New Testament does not encourage us to puzzle our heads over the physical and psychological problems that it raises, but to worship God for the love that was shown in it. For it was a great act of condescension and self-humbling. “He, who had always been God by nature,” writes Paul, “did not cling to his privileges as God’s equal, but stripped Himself of every advantage by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born a man. And, plainly seen as a human being, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, to the point of death, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal” (Phil 2:6-8 Phillips). And all this was for our salvation. . . .

The crucial significance of the cradle at Bethlehem lies in its place in the sequence of steps down that led the Son of God to the cross of Calvary, and we do not understand it till we see it in this context. . . . The taking of manhood by the Son is set before us in a way which shows us how we should ever view it — not simply as a marvel of nature, but rather as a wonder of grace.

– J. I. Packer, Knowing God, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993; pp. 58-59.

Candlelight Service

There are many reasons I love Christmas, one of my favorite is when I gather with my church family particularly around Christmas Eve candlelight service.  It has become a tradition these last several years around Calvary Baptist, and continues to be one of our largest community turnouts of the year.  If you are in the area, we worship together on Christmas Eve at 5:30 p.m.  The service lasts thirty minutes so it will be an appropriate commencement to your Christmas eve evening traditions.

Handel’s Messiah Disaster

There are several reasons why I don’t care for churches attempting to do theatrical drama.  Add another reason to my list.

Prayer for Fourth Sunday of Advent (from collects of Thomas Cranmer)

Lord, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered, thy bountiful grace and mercy, through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, may speedily deliver us; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honor & glory, world without end. Amen.

Advent Meditation

This advent candle is known as the “Angel candle”.  It reminds us of the worship that is yet to come.
Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19] And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. [20] But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: [23] "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel"(which means, God with us). [24] When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, [25] but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus

Another one of my few Christmas CD’s that would be a perfect ten would be the Three Tenors (the original) Christmas.  Aside from some subtle translation, sequencing problems, this is angelic.  “Happy Christmas/War Is Over” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is the best renditions I have ever heard.  This project is proof that good music is a universal language.

Twelve Days of Christmas

A satirical and clever spin to the Twelve Days of Christmas

The German theologian Martin Luther was walking in the woods on a cold, Christmas Eve night in 1535.  The sky was full of bright stars, which caused Luther to contemplate the wonder and beauty of the evening and wished he could somehow capture the moment to share with his children.  An image of a tall evergreen tree sparkling with candlelight popped into his mind, and on his way home he found a tree just the right size.  He cut it down, carried it home, and decorated it with candles.  So church history teaches us that Martin Luther is not only to be the presumed writer of “Away in a Manger” but he also gave us Christmas tree lights in the form of candles.
Luther’s quest to provide his children joy began with his own in worshipping the Lord’s coming to earth.  And that is exactly what Christmas at the very root is-worship.  

Prayer for Third Sunday of Advent (from collects of Thomas Cranmer)

Lord, we beseech thee, give ear to our prayers, and by thy gracious visitation lighten the darkness of our heart, by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Advent

The third candle in Advent is the Shepherd’s candle.  Just to be technical, it is the pink candle which symbolizes the sharing of faith and a time to rejoice in our salvation.

Luke 2:8-18 [8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. [10] And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14] "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" [15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Chip Davis

Chip Davis gives an excuse to follow up his highly successful first Christmas album by adding this project to his excellent ‘Fresh Aire’ series.  This is a great punch as well.  ‘Veni Veni’ is the best I have ever heard.  As I mentioned in a previous post, of the hundred or so Christmas CD’s there would only be maybe five worthy of a ten out of ten rating.  Chip’s first Christmas project and this one would be two of the five best ever.

A Social Network Christmas

Here is a witty, thought provoking, and moving scenario of what may have occurred had Jesus been born in our day.

Sound advice from a twenty year old

Spurgeon preached his first Christmas sermon when he was twenty.  Here are his introductory comments.  
“THIS is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. I hold it to be one of the greatest absurdities under heaven to think that there is any religion in keeping Christmas-day. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day and the observance of it is purely of Popish origin; doubtless those who are Catholics have a right to hallow it, but I do not see how consistent Protestants can account it in the least sacred. However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us, particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more. Still, although we do not fall exactly in the track of other people, I see no harm in thinking of the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus.”

Prayer of Second Sunday of Advent (from the Collects of Thomas Cranmer)

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant us that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, & comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Advent Meditation

The second candle of Advent week is the Bethlehem candle symbolic of the Christ’s babe cradle.  This candle emphasizes Christ lowly humanity.

Micah 5:2-5 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. [3] Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. [4] And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. [5] And he shall be their peace.

Christmas Music

I own about one hundred Christmas CD’s (partly from my years in radio).  So I know a thing or two about Christmas music.  Of the 100 or so, there would probably be only five that would be perfect, ten out of ten, and two of the five would belong to Mannheim Steamroller.  This is Chip Davis’ first of many Mannheim Christmas projects.  He can put his kids through college with this project alone.  Frankly put, there is no bad cut on this project.  Every Christmas library must have this CD or it simply is not complete.  It has great variations of modern and classic carols.  Even though some songs are a bit dated (synthesizers from the eighties), the numerous Grammys still attest to its longevity.  Even though it was originally recorded in 1984 most people know a cut off this project.

The Truth Hurts