Document 70680
Singing Our Faith at Christmas 2013/2014 Devotional Covenant Presbyterian Church www.covenantmadison.org Table of Contents December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December December January 1 January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 January 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Desert Shall Rejoice My Soul Cries Out With A Joyful Shout O Come, O Come Emmanuel Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus In The Bleak Midwinter Carol Of The Cherry Tree I Wonder As I Wander A Stable Lamp Is Lighted Once In David’s Royal City Bring The Torch, Jeanette Isabella Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light O Little Town Of Bethlehem It Came Upon The Midnight Clear Infant Holy, Infant Lowly Some Children See Him Gentle Mary Laid Her Baby Angels We Have Heard On High Angels, From The Realms of Glory Still, Still, Still All Men Poor And Humble O Holy Night O Come, All Ye Faithful Away In A Manger Silent Night Hark! The Herald Angels Sing What Child Is This? Hallelujah Chorus Coventry Carol Mary, Did You Know? We Three Kings Of Orient Are The Little Drummer Boy Joy To The World! Go, Tell It On The Mountain Jesus Christ, The Apple Tree As With Gladness Men Of Old What Star Is This, With Beams So Bright? Beautiful Savior Betty Bowers McMurry Jessica Nylund Salt Christine Barden Marilyn Unruh Jean Spilburg Bill King Bette Duff Jenn Sauer John Strikwerda Laurie Jones Don Woolston Mike Morgan Charlie Berthoud Dick Lovell Melissa Hinz Nan Schaefer Nancy Enderle Sandy Nuernberg Anne Gustafson Janet Beth Schmaltz Nola Walker Michael Fitch Joy West Sally Davis Nancy McCulley Steve Larson Doug Poland Sylvia Poppelbaum Nancy Gunder Margaret Hickman Chris Turner Judy Von Bergen Melissa Schmidt John Strikwerda Charlie Berthoud Melissa Hinz Eric Wendorff Dear Covenant friend, Beautiful Christmas music is all around us this time of year. This devotional is an invitation to slow down and really listen to the music, to let the Good News of Christmas enter our hearts, homes, and lives. “Glory to God” is the beginning of the song that the angels sang at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:14), and it is also the name of our new hymnal. With the arrival of this hymnal, now is a perfect time for us to reflect on some of the songs of the season. Advent means “coming.” On the church calendar, Advent is the four week period before Christmas, when we try to prepare for the coming of Jesus into the world. We all know how busy this season is. We all complain about our culture losing the “true meaning of Christmas.” By taking a few minutes each day to ponder a song of Christmas, you can prepare room in your heart for the One who is coming and as we learn the tune, we can join in the Song. Christmas blessings to you, Charlie Berthoud, Pastor “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king; Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing.” - Isaac Watts December 1, 2013 The Desert Shall Rejoice And Blossom By: Betty Bowers McMurry In Wisconsin, when we picture Christmas, we see frost covered windows, snow blowing down chimneys, evergreen trees decked with icicles, and winter jackets all around. And there is plenty of Christmas music to reinforce that image: The Snow Lay on the Ground; Snow Had Fallen Snow on Snow; See Amid The Winter’s Snow. So wouldn’t you expect a Wisconsin hymn writer to focus on the cold, the dark, the kind of winter that we northerners experience? Why would she lead us to the desert? But that’s what the hymn writer, Joy Patterson, did. Joy lives and makes music in that far-away place, Wausau and she named her hymn tune “Sterling” for Sterling Anderson, the much beloved organist/music director at First Presbyterian, Wausau. As a choir and a congregation, we were proud of Joy so we struggled to make this music powerful, despite our meager experience with Christmas in the desert. But when I moved to the Sonoran desert and celebrated Advent at Mountain Shadows Presbyterian north of Tucson, the desert rejoicing and blossoming became a very real image. After a dry spell, when the rain comes, the desert can bloom and come to life; even the scent of the air is different after a rain and one has a sense of abundant new life. That’s why the Scandinavian poet, Gracia Grindal, wrote this poem which Joy later set to music: to tell us what can happen in our own lives. In our darkness, in the desert of our days, new life can come. We can be reborn, rejoice, and blossom abundantly, for our God has come to save us. Dear Lord, Help me, help us all in this Advent season to sense the coming of new life even in the midst of darkness, and to know that all things are possible. Amen - Page 1 - December 2, 2013 Singing Revolution By: Jessica Nylund Salt Read: Psalm 146 & Luke 1:46-55 Sing: My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout, #100 Reflect: In joyous anticipation of her firstborn, Mary sings revolution. Enraptured that God chose her, a maiden of no prominence, a woman with no voice, to bear the world’s savior, her joy calls up visions of the rich tasting the dust of poverty, the powerful limping with the burden of oppression... As we read “Mary’s Song” in Luke 1 and sing the Advent carol, My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout, we are invited to join with Mary in dreaming dreams and telling tales of hope in response to the good news of the mysterious incarnation, the kind of hope that the rich and powerful are too busy and satisfied to entertain, the kind of hope that sustains us in our poverty. That takes knowing our own poverty, if not poverty of money, then poverty of intimacy and belonging—the very things our souls need most, the very things that require setting aside possessions and power. Mary’s anger frees us to truly celebrate her son’s birth. Let her in. Rest: Sit in God’s presence and allow yourself space and time to consider how God executes judgment, feeds the hungry, sets prisoners free, gives sight to the blind, and befriends the stranger and the fatherless today. Through whom does God do these things? Hold these people before God and ask that they be blessed and encouraged. Wonder: If you were writing a song today about what God has done in your life, what events and relationships would you include? Imagine what sort of melody might accompany these words. What tempo and mood would fit them? Why? Pray a breath prayer: God of freedom, I praise you. Amen. - Page 2 - December 3, 2013 O, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel By: Christine Barden O, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear... The haunting melody of O, Come, O, Come Emmanuel has always drawn me in. Initially, for the stark contrast of its mournful tune to the celebratory Joy-to-the-Worldness of most other Christmas carols. But, further reflecting on the verses reveals a direct simplicity that appeals even more than its beautiful melody. It is a simple, plaintive cry for God to come, be with us. And really, isn’t that what we all want - to be closer to God? To have Him with us? As we celebrate the gift of God’s son to us, in Jesus, this carol quietly reminds us of how desperately the world needed Jesus. A reminder that again, God gives us what we need. Singing this beautiful carol feels like a quiet prayer in the midst of a loud, boisterous Christmas party. It focuses the mind on just how desperate God’s people were for Emmanuel. And that makes the celebration of Christmas even sweeter. Dear God, Thank you for the gift of your precious son, Emmanuel. Amen. - Page 3 - December 4, 2013 Expecting By: Marilyn Unruh Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free… But when he came, it was not at all like what they expected. He did not free his people by use of political power. He brought a different kind of power. He came as a baby, born in an obscure place. He was a human being, subject to all the temptations we face. In all of his encounters, he chose to employ the power of love over the power of domination. ...born to set thy people free… Are we free yet? We await the Second Coming. Will it be as different from what we expect as the first coming was from what they expected? Maybe the Church is the womb for the gestation of the Second Coming. As Mary brought forth the pre-resurrection Jesus, maybe we are to bring forth the risen Christ. Maybe God is expecting us to give birth to, making visible, the one who will set all people free. Come, thou long-expected Jesus... Hope of all the earth thou art… Prayer: Lord, Be it unto us according to thy word. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Not our will, but thine be done. Into thy hands we commend our spirit. Amen. - Page 4 - December 5, 2013 In The Bleak Midwinter By: Jean Spilburg This beautiful poem by Christina Rossetti, set to a lovely tune by Gustav Holst, has always be one of my favorite Christmas carols. At first, the opening lines seem strange and harsh: In the bleak midwinter, 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 midwinter, long ago. Cold and ice and snow in Bethlehem? Why did the poet choose this imagery? For me it is a metaphor for the coldness of our hearts and lives when we turn away from God’s love. When we lack compassion, when we are selfish, when we are unforgiving, we fail to be bearers of God’s great love to the world. In the second verse, the hymn goes on to proclaim Christ’s humble birth: “a stable place sufficed.” Verse three contains one of the loveliest images in this hymn: “But his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the Beloved with a kiss.” And finally, it becomes personal to us: “What can I give Him………Give my heart.” We are asked to respond to the gift of God’s love, proclaiming that love with what we say and do. This soft and gentle carol is a powerful expression of the love of God that comes to us at Christmas. Prayer: Loving God, open our hearts and warm them so that we may show your love to your world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. - Page 5 - December 6, 2013 Carol of A Cherry Tree By: Bill King It started with Anna—so says the Infancy Gospel of James. (That Gospel didn’t make it into our Bible.) Anna had an amazing baby that she gave to the temple. The baby grew to the age of 12, living in the holy place. Then the high priest called together all of the widowers in the area and had them cast lots to determine who would take Mary (the name of the 12 year old) into his home. Joseph won the lottery and moaned that he would become the laughingstock of the town. But... that’s what he had to do. Shortly after the move, she announced that she was pregnant. “Upset” would be an underwhelming description of the old widower. And so an old man and an orphaned girl became the parents of a willfully defenseless God— who gave them a child beyond the power of the righteousness of the father and the purity of the mother. Such is a mystery of salvation. One Christmas song about Joseph’s struggle and Mary’s wonderment is “The Carol of the Cherry Tree” It is a folk song that chooses words for its lyrics from the people who sing it, capturing their amazement at God’s gift. Prayer: Dear God, please open our hearts so that we can discover again the curiously empowerment of us to be the godparents of the one who was born in a manger. Amen. - Page 6 - December 7, 2013 I Wonder As I Wander By: Bette Duff I wonder as I wander out under the sky How Jesus the Savior did come for to die For poor ord’nry people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander out under the sky In 1933 John Jacob Niles, while collecting folk lore and songs in Appalachia, first heard the opening lines of this folk hymn sung in Murray, North Carolina. The Morgan family, a group of traveling revivalists, were about to be ejected from town by the police as a public nuisance after having camped in the town square and washed, and hung their laundry from the town’s Confederate monument. Preacher Morgan pled poverty and was allowed to hold one more revival meeting in order to buy enough gas to get out of town. Niles recalls that during this final service, young Annie Morgan stepped out to sing. Her clothes were dirty and ragged, and she herself was unwashed. However, her voice was lovely, and as she sang the first verse of this hymn, Niles copied the music and words. He later added more stanzas. In 1934 he published it in a collection, “Songs of the Hill Folk.” This Appalachian folk hymn has come a long way. A notable recent choral setting by Carl Rutti has been performed at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College Chapel of Cambridge. For me, the history of this hymn is in itself a devotional message. I will never hear it without remembering that ragged young Appalachian woman singing it in order to get money for her family to flee town. In the midst of hard times, she was able to sing this hymn that celebrates the wondrous love of Jesus. Prayer: Gracious God, No matter what happens to us in our lives, help us always to find wonder in the gift of your love revealed to us in Jesus. Help us to share that love with others. Amen. - Page 7 - December 8, 2013 …and Ev’ry Stone Shall Cry By: Jenn Sauer I don’t know which aspect of “A Stable Lamp is Lighted” moves me more: the gentle yet haunting melody by American composer David Hurd or the poetic, difficult theology expressed in the lyrics by former US Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur. I do know that I have yet to sing it in its entirety without crying all over my music. The opening stanza, with its familiar imagery of star, straw, and stall, lulls us into expecting a traditional manger scene carol redolent of peace and a mother’s love. But stanza two wakes us from our reverie: The child through David’s city/shall ride in triumph by/The palm shall strew its branches/And ev’ry stone shall cry. Suddenly it is Palm Sunday. Suddenly we recognize that the voice of this carol is the voice of a prophet who is not content to leave us in a cozy barn in Bethlehem. Stanza three reminds us, And ev’ry stone shall cry/for stony hearts of men:/God’s blood upon the spearhead/God’s love refused again. Part of me would love to indulge in the (childish) notion that Christmas is the Happy Ending story: the world was sinful, God sent Jesus to make it better. Joy to the world and pass the pumpkin pie! But the part of me that desires a mature faith appreciates the reminder that every moment, I must decide whether to accept God’s love or refuse it again. Prayer: God of profligate grace, fill us with the knowledge that the risen Christ has taken residence in our hearts and is reborn in us not just at Christmas but in every moment we acknowledge Him. Amen - Page 8 - December 9, 2013 Carol: Once in Royal David’s City By: John Strikwerda When I was a boy our family had a songbook with this carol and across the page was a black and white photograph depicting the manger scene. I studied that image, intrigued by rude cut pillars supporting a sagging roof beneath which quiet Mary gazed at her baby, all of it hidden in the dark city of King David. I memorized the first two verses with that picture to guide me. I hadn’t thought much about this song until a few years ago when I heard it over public radio on the morning of Christmas Eve. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was being broadcast from King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England. Every year since 1919 Once in Royal David’s City has been the processional hymn for that Christmas Eve service. The first verse is sung solo by a choir boy, the second by the choir, and then the congregation joins in. As the carol rang out that Christmas Eve, I could almost see myself as a boy, standing by the bay window in our dining room, the book open before me, repeating the words. Now I try to listen to that broadcast every year. The service connects me to my childhood, to the millions around the world listening with me, and to our common faith in the one who ‘With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy.’ Prayer: Loving God, in this Christmas season, help us share the message of your love. Amen. - Page 9 - December 10, 2013 Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella By: Laurie Jones Bring a torch for the Prince of Peace Bring a torch, oh come and believe Bring a torch, see this mystery Light of the world is here. When I hear “Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella” I am transported back to my childhood piano lessons. I was just learning to play and was very excited to play my Christmas favorites! This song was assigned by my teacher and I had never heard it. My unfamiliarity with the tune made it even more difficult to learn. It took time, patience and practice but I learned the song and enjoy it to this day. Jeanette Isabella was told to “come swiftly and run” to tell the folk in the village Jesus was born. So often my approach is to go swiftly, like Jeanette Isabella, to get as much done in as little time as possible. But fast is not always the best approach. Sometimes you need to approach faith like you would learn a new song or skill. Study it, practice it, repeat it over and over until you’re able to speed up to tempo and use your new skill. As Christians, we know that God is with us even when we fail so that when we can try again we have a renewed spirit. Prayer: Loving God,As your child, I may not always want to practice or study and I want to move too fast, but I know that you are patient and that with time you will mold me into the person you know I can be. Amen. - Page 10 - December 11, 2013 Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light By: Don Woolston Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light (#26 in the new hymnal) was in a thick book of piano pieces found on the upright piano in the dining room of my childhood home, around the corner from where my musically (and culinarily) talented mother cooked as she oversaw my practicing. If I did my drills diligently, I was allowed to attempt a piece from the “big book.” Often I chose “Break Forth,” arranged by J.S. Bach. For twenty minutes, I would butcher the chords, fingering and key signature (“FLAT THE F!” Mother implored). J.S. Bach would not have recognized what I was playing, but the tune became part of me. Neither the music lessons nor my mother’s guidance had an effect; I couldn’t play then and I can’t now. But I do love choral music. The sliding harmonies and chord suspensions of “Break Forth” give me goose bumps; it’s my Advent favorite. I thank God for J.S. Bach’s music that fuels our faith, and look forward to singing “Break Forth” from our new hymnals. Prayer: Dear God: This Advent, help us hear your word through the music of awe, wonder and anticipation. Bring love to our hearts, and peace to our minds. Amen. - Page 11 - December 12, 2013 O Little Town of Bethlehem By: Mike Morgan No ear may hear his coming but, in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in. I grew up in a very small town. I remember nights during the Christmas season when a group of us would go caroling house by house. During those times between houses it was very dark and very still. I am always reminded of these times when I sing, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. According to Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Stories For Daily Devotions, Pastor Philips Brooks journeyed to the Holy Land in 1865. He was fortunate to worship at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. The experience evidently made an impression on him because three years later he desired to have a special children’s carol written for the annual Christmas program. “Recalling the peaceful scene in the little town of Bethlehem, Brooks completed the writing of the text in just one evening.” Whenever we sing this carol, let us remember the still, dark times in our lives when the light of the Christ Child entered into the scene, bringing warmth and security to our fragile spirit. Prayer: Heavenly Father, when the nights and our lives are still and quiet, we pray for the Light of your Son, Jesus Christ, to enter into our lives, giving us courage and guidance through the darkness. Amen. - Page 12 - December 13, 2013 A Song of Peace By: Charlie Berthoud “It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old...” When Jesus was born, the angels sang a song of peace and good will (Luke 2.14). In the hymn “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” the “it” is not the birth of Jesus; but rather “it” is the angelic message. This is a song about The Song. I love the imagery of the music floating “o’er the weary world,” for those who toil “beneath life’s crushing load.” And our new hymnal adds a third stanza, with an invitation for us to listen, which I’ve never seen: Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long; beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled two thousand years of wrong; and we at war on earth hear not the tidings that they bring; O hush the noise and cease the strife to hear the angels sing! I love the music of Christmas, and I love how this hymn invites us to listen, to really listen for The Song. And then in the last stanza we anticipate the time when “the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.” Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to bring new life and a new Song to the world. Help us to listen, and teach us to sing, and to live. Amen. - Page 13 - December 14, 2013 “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” From Crisis to a Season of Expectation By: Dick Lovell Athletes hope for a “breakout season,” when their performance rises to a new level. I associate the hymn “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” with a very different sort of breakout: the Christmas season of 1962. In December 1962, we had just endured the Cuban Missile Crisis. Nuclear war had been narrowly averted. The sense of relief was palpable. Christmas seemed more precious that year. The gifted pastor of my childhood church in Ohio selected several Advent hymns that were new to us, including the instantly touching “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.” Meanwhile, from the radio came the new and hopeful “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by the Harry Simeone Chorale. For me in 1962, Advent changed from a largely historical and sentimental event to a season of expectation. God’s love was about to flow freely into a troubled world through the lowly birth of the Christ child. There was reason for hope, not just for world peace but for the personal peace that passes understanding. Inspiring music, particularly the hymn “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly,” helped make the difference. Athlete or not, may this be a “breakout” Advent season for you, a season full of hope and expectation. Prayer: Loving God, may Advent this year be a precious time for us. May we sing with joy and expectation as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child. Amen. - Page 14 - December 15, 2013 Seeing Jesus By: Melissa Hinz Some children see him lily white, the baby Jesus born this night. Some children see him bronzed and brown, the Lord of heaven to earth come down. Some children see him almond-eyed, the Savior whom we kneel beside. Some children see him dark as they, sweet Mary’s son to whom we pray. My parents have an old reel-to-reel tape player. When I was young, my parents recorded a number of Christmas albums on a reel, and it has been our’official’ family Christmas music ever since. One of my favorite tracks is Tennessee Ernie Ford singing “Some Children See Him” by Alfred Burt. This text speaks of children all over the world seeing Jesus as they are and yet knowing him as Savior and King. We don’t know what Jesus looked like, but even without seeing him, we can know him. What is important is how we know him to be in our hearts. Jesus is the gift of love and life that comes to us - to each of us – as we are. He is Emmanuel, God with us, the light in the darkness, the Savior of the nations. He is man and he is God. He is love, and justice and truth. His love is unconditional and offered freely to all. May our eyes be opened to see and our hearts opened to know the true Christ who comes to bring peace to the 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. - Page 15 - December 16, 2013 “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child” By: Nan Schaefer Christmas is the story of the birth of Jesus, a baby born in a stable under very humble circumstances. Our hymns tell this story in all kinds of ways, but this particular hymn speaks to me so intimately of a truly wonderful event – childbirth. Childbirth is an amazing event; a mother carries this baby inside her for nine months, and all this time she feels like she knows this baby. She feels its exciting activity inside of her. She feels the various discomforts of pregnancy, and knows exactly what is causing it. And yet, she doesn’t really know this baby. As Mary must have felt, this child has been thus far “to the world a stranger.” I will never forget each time one of our little daughters was presented to me after delivery – looking at that little face that I had only imagined over those long nine (+) months of pregnancy. And finally, each little face was known to me. Her name seemed to fit each time, or else I knew she would grow into it – “but no more a stranger.” And the birth of Jesus - all the other events going on – the Wise men, the shepherds, the angels, the Star – all of these had to have been far secondary to seeing that awaited and sobeloved face of Mary’s child. In this hymn, all of those “other” events are lumped into one verse, surrounded on either side by the simple verse “Gentle Mary laid her child, lowly in the manger.” He was undefiled before birth, and still undefiled after, Son of God, of humble birth. Glorious, but so simple and pure, like the birth of any baby. Prayer: Dear God, Please help us to remember the birth of Jesus as that simple, lowly and humble, yet glorious event. And help us all to celebrate the life of each and every child born to us, as pure and glorious and worthy of all of our love and devotion – and needy of all of our care and assistance throughout its growing and learning years. Amen. - Page 16 - December 17, 2013 Angels We Have Heard On High By: Nancy Enderle My favorite part of this Christmas Carol is the soaring chorus, “Gloooooria…”. I love the way the song launches the congregation into celebration with great abandon. As singers, the extended “ooo” forces your whole being to open. You can’t sing all those “o” sounds without opening up your throat, and even your face - a clenched jaw cannot accommodate those cascading sounds. It reminds me of our natural response to experiences of wonder; times we are overwhelmed by the extraordinary and find ourselves speechless with mouths agape. Singing this chorus opens us up to the wonder and marvel of the Christmas story. The Carol writer invites us to join with the shepherds in the experience of awe. When all is said and done, perhaps that is the best response we can make to the Christmas miracle; to angels visiting a group of cold and lonely shepherds and rocking their world. Awe. Jaw-dropping awe. That God would interrupt the violence and greed, the hustle and bustle, and bring such a glorious spectacle to the rural hillsides of Bethlehem is wondrous and beyond understanding. Good news. Awe inspiring, heart opening wonder. Prayer: Dear Lord, open our hearts to hear the good news again this season. Quiet the noise we create and give us still spirits, that we might hear the angels and see the glory of your Son our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. - Page 17 - December 18, 2013 “Angels From the Realms of Glory” By: Sandy Nuernberg This poetic hymn, written by James Montgomery, and composed by Henry Thomas Smart, appeared on Christmas Eve, 1816, as a poem entitled, “Nativity.” Over time and singing its glorious, familiar tune, it has great meaning and good news for us at Christmastime. It is a carol about shepherds, sages, and saints, yet my highest regard, respect, and reverence is for the angels, those winged, mysterious messengers singing ‘creation’s story’ and ‘proclaiming the Messiah’s birth.’ Many years ago, my twin sister and I had opportunities to be angels in the Christmas pageant story at our Presbyterian Church in La Crescent, MN, wings flapping, mouths wagging forth good news, trying to respond physically to, “Isn’t she/he an angel?” It worked for a few years; I thought of angels as mysterious, flying, heavenly beings with news of great joy, perhaps in a somewhat Divine image, scripturally as ‘the angel of the Lord.’ ( Genesis 16:11, Gen. 22:11, and 2 Samuel 24:16, and also in Luke 1:11) After my childish years, growing into adulthood, I’ve been so fortunate to become acquainted with Human angels as guardians around me and I often focus upon the inspirational, miraculous, and faithful actions they provide for/with me. They may be my friends, family, or strangers who bring joy, gladness, laughter with rejoicing, power and Spirit, all in preparation for what is to come. What a blessing! For me, Christmas is a time for angels singing gloriously, their declarations of joy, but especially proclaiming the birth of the brightest beam we most cherish, God’s Newborn Son. Prayer: Gracious and Loving God, let us lift our hearts and minds, bodies and souls, in Spirit to the birth, life, and glorification of your Son, Christ Jesus. Encourage us, empower us to come and worship Christ the newborn King. Amen. - Page 18 - December 19, 2013 Still, Still, Still By: Anne Gustafson The first time I heard this Austrian/German Christmas song was when I was listening to Garrison Keillor on “A Prairie Home Companion” on NPR one winter night. I don’t remember what I was doing as I listened but the song was so beautiful and peaceful that I stopped whatever I was doing, sat down, and listened. When the song finished, I was in tears. For me, this song is a Christmas lullaby. I feel the same way when I am listening to “Silent Night”. When both songs end, I sense an inner peacefulness and I have to wipe away tears from my cheeks. I can picture in my mind this image. A gentle snow is falling. The Norway pine trees are covered in a quiet, white blanket. Through the window I can see a parent rocking their child to sleep. I can see myself holding my daughter Grace as a baby, rocking her to sleep. It is a slow, methodical back and forth rocking in my grandmother’s chair. I believe that Mary would have done the same thing with her baby Jesus on her lap. She didn’t have the comfort of a rocking chair or the quiet snow falling outside her window but I’m sure she felt the same inner peace as she rocked her little one. As you listen to the lyrics (or read them), they are simple and peaceful like a poem. Still, still, still One can hear the falling snow. For all is hushed, The world is sleeping, Holy star its vigil keeping. Sleep, sleep, sleep Sweet Jesus softly sleeps While Mary sings and gently holds you Safely in her arms enfolds you Dream, dream, dream Of the joyous day to come. While guardian angels without number, Watch you as you sweetly slumber. Dream, dream, dream, Of the joyous day to come. I have listened to several versions of this tune thanks to YouTube but my favorite version is still the one sung by Garrison Keillor. This tune is not heard very often, in fact, I haven’t heard it again until this year as I was writing this devotional. I hope it will be sung more often, maybe a parent will rock their child to sleep singing this tune this Christmas. My Christmas wish this year is for my daughter Grace, now a teenager, to play this heavenly song for me on her guitar. I know I will smile as tears fall on my cheeks. - Page 19 - December 20, 2013 “All Men Poor and Humble” By: Janet Beth Schmaltz “All poor men and humble, all lame men who stumble, come haste ye, nor feel ye afraid. For Jesus, our treasure, with love past all measure, in lowly poor manger was laid. Though wise men who found him laid rich gifts around him, yet oxen they gave him their hay. And Jesus in beauty accepted their duty; contented in manger he lay. Then haste we to show him the praises we owe him; our service he ne’er can despise: Whose love still is able to show us that stable where softly in manger he lies.” I learned this Christmas carol in Trinidad. I like the folksy tune which is easy to sing with or without instruments. Its message is inclusive, poor men, lame men, wise men, come without fear to Jesus who is with love past all measure. It asks us to bring whatever gifts we have, rich gifts, hay, praises, or service. It offers us hope that “love still is able to show us that stable” manger where Jesus softly lies. I thought it might be a good feeling to do God’s will, to take a chance on God; however, I got stuck on the word “be accurate” and I stumbled. I thought what good is it, if I can’t be accurate? My mom comforted me, she reminded me that Doug Oldham “backslid.” He was in the Christian Brotherhood Quartet that came to Trinidad to sing at Queen’s Royal Hall and they stayed in our home. I was also willing to take a chance on whoever was helping me.I am reminded of Doug Poland’s class: We give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and we give unto God EVERYTHING ELSE. And I am reminded of Pastor Steve’s sermon: The way we come to God in prayer, is just as we would come to an intimate partner, we come completely naked, with no pretense, nothing separating us from God. And so, God being omniscient, knows everything, knows just what we do or don’t have, and he will accept nothing less than our all. Prayer: Dear God, I thank you for the star and for your love which is still able to show us the way to Jesus. May we hasten without fear to come to you and to experience your love that is past all measure. You are awesome. Help us. Thank you. Amen. - Page 20 - December 21, 2013 O Holy Night By: Nola Walker “...Truly he taught us to love one another His law is love and His gospel is peace...” O Holy Night, the American Christmas carol, was authored by John Sullivan Dwight in 1855, based upon the composition Cantique de Noel by Adolphe Adams as derived from the poem Minuit, chrétiens (Midnight Christians) written by French poet Placide Cappeau. We are probably familiar with many variations of this carol and its constant call to reflect upon the night in which God’s promise was fulfilled through Jesus, our Savior’s, birth. This inspired text symbolizes redemptive grace freely extended to all through Jesus Christ. I recall the beautiful carol with such personal warmth and its silent call to us to reflect upon the night of our Lord Savior’s birth. O holy night indeed! As a child, how restless I was in anticipation of Christmas day, through my child’s vision – the fulfillment of my hopes and wishes, but for presents! I call upon you to reflect upon either your childhood memories or observances of the excitement and anticipation of a child on Christmas Eve night. As adults, what does it take to awaken that childlike sense of excitement, hope and optimism? What are our true spiritual hopes and wishes and do we excitedly welcome them forth, or do we discount them to past childhood memories? I invite you to join in the world’s reflection of our blessed redeemer’s birth on this Christmas Eve and explore your spiritual presents received, shared, and those yet to come. Oh what a holy night indeed! We shall celebrate through song the birth of Christ, redemption, a new life, and the birth of a new relationship with God! We each have the gift of choice to live as an expression of God’s love and promise to the world. What a fitting meditation reflected in the form of the carol, O Holy Night. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy name and give thanks to the fulfillment of your promise expressed through the birth and life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the meditation of our hearts and minds, and may our actions and deeds, reflect your loving grace. Amen. - Page 21 - December 22, 2013 O Come, All Ye Faithful By: Michael Fitch “See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze; we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;” It’s difficult to be anything but grateful at Christmas. As I spend time with my family and friends, the thankfulness I feel for receiving another year with them is sometimes overwhelming, but ever present. It reminds me to never take them for granted. As a Christian, I also feel gratitude for the meaning behind Christmas - the grace offered by God as the Word became flesh in Jesus. When I began looking at this hymn, I wasn’t sure what I would write about. These old songs offer so much in every verse. Then I began to think about the first line of the text and then about the fourth verse - which unfortunately doesn’t appear in the most recent hymnal. The first line is a command, we are commanded to come worship the Lord. Continuing, the fourth verse speaks of the shepherds and how they left their flocks to “draw nigh to gaze” upon Jesus. Thinking of that made me realize that since Jesus is truly an amazing gift, it is still our task - as God’s faithful - to come to Him. Not just during Advent and Christmas, rather we must daily make that choice through grace. Just like with our families, we should never take this gift for granted - we should come and adore Him. Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for the gift of your Son. Plant in our hearts the desire to turn to Him each day, ever-grateful for all He has been, is, and will be to us. Amen. - Page 22 - December 23, 2013 Away In A Manger By: Joy West Many years ago at Christmas a little girl, about 5 years old, stood on the altar steps of a church in Chicago, with about six to eight other children. They sang, Away In A Manger and ‘pantomimed’ the words as they sang. This event of which she sang seemed like a fairy tale. A baby born in a stable with farm animals near-by, sleeping on hay, with angels singing and Kings presenting gifts to the child. He was called Lord Jesus. She could not comprehend the role that baby would have in the rest of my life. He has given me strength, help, hope, and understanding through these many years. He is my Lord Jesus. Away In A Manger is not my favorite carol; however it is always the first that comes to my mind when the subject of Christmas carols arises. It is a song of new beginning, for me and the Christian world. Prayer: Dear God, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of your son, Lord Jesus, we give thanks for your gift. Baby Jesus has shed his light on the world and provided so much to mankind. We sing Alleluia, Glory to God in the highest. Amen. - Page 23 - December 24, 2013 Silent Night, Holy Night By: Sally Ann Davis We asked Dad to fly from Wisconsin to California to spend Christmas with our family. This would be Dad’s first Christmas without Mother. Her funeral in August was the last time we were together. Our family tradition was to attend the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Westminster Presbyterian Church so that together we would celebrate the birth of Jesus. The service, which started at 11 p.m., was always deeply moving. At the end of the service, the church lights were dimmed and each of us lit a candle which we held in our hands. The candles, lit one by one, were a beautiful way to remind us of the light that Jesus’ birth brought into our world. As the candles were lit, we sang “Silent Night, Holy Night.” As we were singing, Dad took my arm and whispered - “Silent Night” was your Mother’s favorite Christmas hymn. Tears were streaming down Dad’s face. Soon tears were streaming down my face. As we sang “Silent Night” together, we both knew that Mother was with us - that her spirit was present and that she was reminding us of how precious life is on earth - and how precious is Jesus’ promise of eternal life. I remember that Christmas Eve of so many years ago, as if it was yesterday. I am grateful for a faith that enables us not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve, but to know that the spirit of those we love is always with us - and that we too will share in the blessing of eternal life which began when God sent his Son to us on Christmas Eve. Prayer: Dear God,We thank you for the greatest gift ever given, your son, Jesus, born this day in Bethlehem. We thank you also for the gift of life which we share with those we love on earth and for the gift of eternal life which enables us to always be in spirit with those we have loved. Amen. - Page 24 - December 25, 2013 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing By: Nancy McCulley As a child, I remember Christmas Eve services as being quiet, almost somber occasions. The mystery and awe of a virgin birth lent an air of subdued and formal celebration. It was hard to sit still… it was difficult to keep from exploding with excitement! Waiting at home for the candlelight hour, I played with the figures from our family’s crèche, imagining I too could fly next to the cherubic angel who perched atop the manger. Together we would sing “Hark!” and “Glory to the newborn King!” Now those were announcements befitting a long-awaited birthday! Finally, as Christmas morning arrived, it was time to pull out all the stops—literally—I loved to sit near the pipe organ! My exuberance was allowed to explode as the strains of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” filled the church; and singing along in the celebration came so naturally. The wonder of generations past and present continues. May we remember to announce with great joy the message that at first only angels sang: “Christ is born in Bethlehem.” Prayer: Dear Lord and Savior, we celebrate at Christmastime with great joy. Help us to carry the wonder of your birth and its saving message with us throughout the year. Amen. - Page 25 - December 26, 2013 What Child Is This By: Steve Larson A big part of Christmas is the feeling that songs generate. When I hear this song it puts me back in middle school, a farm boy in West Central Minnesota. Christmas Eve, winter is upon us. I am in the warm barn, finishing up feeding the cows, the smell of fresh feed and the sound of cows contently feeding. What a wonderful place to be. Later, we as a family, go to church. Our church is beautifully decorated. I am sitting next to a nice lady with her mink stole, head and eyes, looking at me, but that’s OK, as we share a hymnal singing “What Child Is This”. What a wonderful place to be. As I review the words of this song, I notice the song does not think about a cattle manger the same as I. Furthermore the song in the Lutheran version mentions ‘The Cross”. This song that generates this wonderful joyous feeling is not all niceties. Like the world we live in, not so simple and not always as we see it. So humbly, as I relish in all the wonderful feelings this song and other traditions bring to my sense of Christmas, I am reminded Christmas is about God, and for me to share God’s love. Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gift of Christ, the salvation he brings. Thank you for this festive season of joy and celebration. Help me to remember those less fortunate. Give me wisdom to better understand others. Amen. - Page 26 - December 27, 2013 Hallelujah Chorus By: Doug Poland The Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s three-part oratorio Messiah is a triumphal song, concluding with the chorus proclaiming: “He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah!” As a triumphal proclamation, it might be expected to provide an exclamation point at the end of the oratorio. But it is not the final word that Handel and librettist Charles Jennens penned to proclaim the good news and great joy of Jesus’ birth. Rather, the Hallelujah Chorus comes at the end of Part II of the Messiah. Why? To me, what follows in Part III of the Messiah provides the theological explanation: the sparse but beautiful solo, “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth,” a duet asking “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” and a chorus proclaiming “thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Handel and Jennens thus make the theological jump from Jesus’ birth to his death to our rebirth in Christ. They move immediately from Christmas to Easter. This recognizes that our celebration of Jesus’ birth — the joy of Christmas — cannot be understood or appreciated without Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the birth of Christ within us. Prayer: Loving God, help us to remember that Christmas is prelude to the greatest gift, the change that comes through the birth of Christ within us. Amen. - Page 27 - December 28, 2013 Coventry Carol By: Sylvia Poppelbaum Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay. Coventry Carol, verse 1 I loved the Coventry Carol the moment I first heard the ancient melody calling to me down through time. I always thought this was a sweet lullaby sung by Mary to baby Jesus. I was wrong. The Coventry Carol originated in the 16th century, in a “mystery play” performed for the Feast of Innocents on December 28 in Coventry, England. In the play, after the young boys of Jesus’ age are slaughtered by Herod, the women sing this lullaby to mourn for their lost children. The remaining verses of the Coventry Carol tell the sad story found in Matthew 2:16. ...Herod was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem... It isn’t the kind of Christmas story I want to hear, but I have found a message in it. As the gospel of Matthew 2:13 tells us, Joseph, warned by an angel in a dream, takes Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt, but the other young boys in Bethlehem are not so fortunate. It is this raw story of life’s realities that brings me a new understanding about Jesus’ life on earth - his vulnerability, and ours, to the brutality and heartlessness of an unjust world. And with it I feel a new gratitude for the life he gave to save us. Prayer: Dear Lord, giver of the gift of your son Jesus Christ, in our joy and gratitude for this gift may we also remember the cost. Amen. - Page 28 - December 29, 2013 Mary’s Son As The Son of God By: Nancy Gunder I think, “Mary, Did You Know?”, this beautiful song, captures the very essence of advent as “a time of expectant waiting and preparation for Jesus’ birth”. What mother (or father) doesn’t have hopes and dreams for their child as they too await their baby’s birth? The imagery of Mary holding her sleeping Child also speaks to me of the intense bond between mother and child and to a sense of limitless possibility that a mother may feel when gazing at her newborn child. It becomes evident though that Jesus is no ordinary child. His birth is indeed a very special event as the song summarizes the many miracles attributed to Jesus, allowing “the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to leap….” This Baby Boy is not a “mere mortal”, rather He “is the Lord of all creation” and has “walked where Angels trod”. Yes, He is Mary’s son, but he is also the Son of God who has come to earth as our Savior and Redeemer. Thanks be to Mary, his earthly mother and to God, the Father! Prayer: “Let us on this day give thanks for the miracle of Jesus’s birth and for our faith in Him as our Savior and Redeemer.” Amen. - Page 29 - December 30, 2013 We Three Kings Of Orient Are By: Margaret Hickman Early man must have been terrified when he saw an eclipse of the sun or moon or a comet streaking across the sky for he had no knowledge to explain such a frightening evil occurrence. Maybe he just hunkered down in his cave and waited for the end of his days. But years passed, and in this climate people spent most of their time outdoors, day and night. They heard their ancestors’ stories, and became aware of the reoccurrence of many heavenly events. They were curious for an explanation. After studying such episodes, astrologers arose who professed knowledge that they could MAGIcally interpret meteor showers, comets, or an eclipse; they could divine men’s affairs by means of the stars; they were the wise men of their age. MAGI arrive as the Wise Men - the three Kings (Matthew 2:1-12). They were accustomed to wealth and privilege, and knowledge was power over the masses of people in their counties as they dispensed their wisdom. However, something very unusual had happened, something never before heard or seen. A magnificent star shone in the East. Not only that, but it moved westward and could be tracked. After an uneasy visit with King Herod in Jerusalem, they set off towards Bethlehem They were humbled not knowing what this meant. But they knew it was big, and that meant they were both obligated and anxious to discover the reason for this very different star. Clearly, it was necessary to take gifts for the unknown foreign event/being that was so powerful. Gifts were prepared: gold was always appropriate, frankincense was traditional, and somehow myrrh seemed suitable. Off they went, day and night “following yonder star. Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.” And the star stopped over a stable! The end of their journey must have totally amazed them for they saw a tiny baby, but one so unique they understood that a miracle had occurred. They bowed to the ground and worshiped this lovely child, left their gifts, and having been warned in a dream of Herod’s intent, returned a different way. This hymn was written in 1857 by Rev. John Hopkins, and I’ve always thought how appropriate the music was describing the life of Christ. The beginning is full of hope and joy and the experience of seeking something beyond themselves as the Wise Men journey to Bethlehem. The myrrh offered and the cadence as the song progresses suggests that sorrow lies ahead. In the last stanza, all will be overcome according to God’s will. Prayer: Our Father, we, too, are humbled by this precious gift and because of it, the love and grace we have received. Alleluia. Amen. - Page 30 - December 31, 2013 The Little Drummer Boy By: Chris Turner The Little Drummer Boy may not be found in a hymnal, but it is a song that captures the birth of Jesus from a child’s perspective, and that is one of the reasons I like it. The story of the birth of the Christ Child is told by many people, in many ways, but almost all of them are from the adult perspective. This song from a child is a direct and honest telling of his impressions and feelings. The second reason I like it is that the narrator-child becomes Christ-like as he comes to see the baby. The drummer boy is from a humble background, he does not have much, just as Jesus, laying in a feeding trough for animals, is from humble beginnings. Yet the drummer boy honestly offers whatever he has – his talent for playing music – to honor the king he has come to see. Then, to the drummer boy’s relief and delight, he is validated by the baby’s mother. I have no gift to bring, That’s fit to give the King, Shall I play for you, On my drum? Mary nodded, The ox and lamb kept time, I played my drum for Him, I played my best for Him... Throughout Jesus’s life, he reached out to those who had less, just as the drummer boy did with the baby Jesus. As the little drummer boy offered what he had, we can all find something within us to offer our brothers and sisters, and in gratitude to God. Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum Me and my drum. Prayer: Dear God, let me anticipate the birth of the Christ Child with the wonder of a child, and reach out to others with whatever I have. Amen. - Page 31 - January 1, 2014 Joy To The World! By: Judy Von Bergen Christmas Eve 1963, Ames, Iowa, 11PM. I had come to church after my boisterous family’s celebration. The sanctuary was lit by flickering rows of candles. Red poinsettias graced the long chancel steps . The warmth and the quiet music eased me into a sense of holy. We sang “Joy To The World” and my heart opened; the warm glow became part of my being too. I carried it home where it gentled me for days. Christmas Eve, 1980, Madison, Wisconsin, 8:00PM. My parents were visiting from Ames; our triplets were five years old. We came to Covenant following a celebratory dinner and gift opening. The sanctuary lights were low. The warmth and peace of the service soon had Kate, nestled in her grandmother’s lap, sound asleep. My mother’s eyes shown with the love and bliss of holding a sleeping loved child, as true now as it was for Mary and her babe I am sure. As we sang the hymns, my heart expanded and my spirit lifted. I do not need to be in the current time to feel pleasure and peace. Writing down these stories recreated that space for me. I am learning it is possible to repeat the sounding joy, any time, any place, using my imagination and an open heart. Prayer: Gracious God, Help our hearts prepare him room. Encourage us to nurture joy in our lives, to sing out our joy, to celebrate and share joy. Hallelujah! - Page 32 - January 2, 2014 Go Tell It On The Mountain By: Melissa Schmidt Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. This energetic Christmas carol is an African-American spiritual dating back to at least 1865. Written during a dark time in our nation’s history, this carol uses a joyful and energetic melody to describe the Nativity. Shepherds were in the field, tending to their flocks of sheep, when suddenly a host of angels filled the sky and sang of our Savior’s birth. This carol, however, does not end with a description of the Nativity. It also directs us to obey the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples on a mountain in Galilee. Go, make disciples of all nations and tell it everywhere that Jesus Christ is born! When I was in seventh grade, my mother arranged a quartet version of this Christmas carol for my family to play at a Christmas piano recital. My mother, two siblings, and I sat at one piano and played with so much vigor and intensity that the floor shook. It was powerful because of the power found in this carol. Jesus Christ is born! Go, spread this news on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere! Prayer: O Lord, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to you. Give us the courage to go, therefore, and tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. And in doing so, use us to make disciples of all nations. Amen. - Page 33 - January 3, 2014 Jesus Christ, The Apple Tree By: John Strikwerda Every time I hear this hymn I’m amazed by likening Jesus to an apple tree. How wonderfully different from the usual metaphors: Jesus as king, as the lamb of God, Jesus as bread of life. Instead we have a common, simple apple tree. The song’s power comes from working artfully on two levels. It makes us appreciate apple trees for their simple beauty, shade, and fruit. And each attribute is tied effortlessly to Jesus. Notice that Jesus is never ‘like’ an apple tree. He is an apple tree. I’m also impressed by how the writer sticks to the metaphor of tree and fruit throughout, not inserting any word that is theologically correct but poetically wrong. That’s not easy. One might be tempted to mention the cross, another sort of tree. No allusion to fruits of the spirit or the apple in the Garden of Eden clutter these lines. All we have are elegant lines extolling the apple tree’s delicious fruit and comforting shade on a hot day. This hymn inspires me to look about for other common but modern symbols. Jesus the internet provider connecting me to others. Jesus the bicycle giving me freedom as I cycle through life. Those metaphors aren’t as rich as an apple tree. Perhaps one day I’ll pen a line or two about Jesus the... Well, it hasn’t come to me yet. Until then I’m open to images as fresh as apple trees. 1. The tree of life my soul hath seen, Laden with fruit and always green: The trees of nature fruitless be Compared with Christ the apple tree. 4. I’m weary with my former toil, Here I will sit and rest awhile: Under the shadow I will be, Of Jesus Christ the apple tree. 2. His beauty doth all things excel: By faith I know, but ne’er can tell The glory which I now can see In Jesus Christ the apple tree. 5. This fruit doth make my soul to thrive, It keeps my dying faith alive; Which makes my soul in haste to be With Jesus Christ the apple tree. 3. For happiness I long have sought, And pleasure dearly I have bought: I missed of all; but now I see ’Tis found in Christ the apple tree. - Page 34 - January 4, 2014 As With Gladness Men Of Old By: Charlie Berthoud “As with gladness, men of old did the guiding star behold As with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright; so most gracious Lord may we, evermore be led to Thee.” “As With Gladness Men Of Old” is a prayerful Epiphany hymn, and it invites us to join with the magi, the wise ones (traditionally assumed to be men), in following the light of God and journeying to Jesus. The second stanza continues the prayerfulness of the journey: “So may we with willing feet, ever seek thy mercy seat.” The third stanza reflects on the gifts of the magi, inviting us to offer our gifts to God: “so may we with holy joy, pure and free from sin’s alloy, all our costliest treasures bring, Christ to thee our heavenly king.” The hymn concludes in the fourth stanza, breaking from the “as….so” linguistic pattern of the first three, with a prayer for challenges of daily living and a reassurance of eschatological hope, reminding us that in life and in death, we belong to God. Prayer: “Holy Jesus, every day keep us in the narrow way; and when earthly things are past, bring our ransomed souls at last where they need no star to guide, where no clouds thy glory hide.” - Page 35 - January 5, 2014 What Star is This, With Beams So Bright? By: Melissa Hinz “The light shines in the darkness…” This hymn, words written by Charles Coffin in 1736, speaks of light. It reminds us of the star, the light, that led the sages to Jesus. The words also tell of an inward light urging the sages on, seeking the Christ. We, too, are invited to follow that light and come to know the Source, the Giver of light and grace. May we let that light shine on us, in us and through us as we seek to be a reflection of God’s love and grace in the world. Let us remember the gift of the star, and the light that still shines for us today. What star is this, with beams so bright, more lovely than the noonday light? ’Tis sent to announce a newborn king, glad tidings of our God to bring. ’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed, “From Jacob shall a star proceed”; and lo! the eastern sages stand to read in heaven the Lord’s command. While outward signs the star displays, an inward light the Lord conveys and urges them, with tender might, to seek the giver of the light. And may this verse be our prayer: 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. - Page 36 - January 6, 2014 Beautiful Savior - Fairest Lord Jesus By: Eric Wendorff I have listened to “Beautiful Savior” on my parents’ Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas LP for over 40 years and more recently on a PBS special “Christmas at St. Olaf,” and I’ve wondered what this beautiful hymn with no iconic imagery of singing angels, astonished shepherds, and adoring Magi, might have to do with Christmas. Timothy Keller has written that human beings will only be drawn out of themselves into unselfish acts of service to others when they see God as supremely beautiful.When we experience God’s beauty, we want to share the experience with others, to have others praise and enjoy the beauty with us. While we may think of the birth of Jesus theologically, this hymn invites us to experience the beauty of God in Jesus. How beautiful a newborn infant is! And the presence of the newborn Savior transforms the dirt and the stink of a crude stable, the hopelessness of peasant poverty, the anxiety of a young couple waiting to be taxed by an oppressive regime. But the hymn uses other imagery to express Jesus’ beauty. Jesus is fairer and purer than the meadows and woodlands robed in blooming spring flowers. Jesus shines brighter and purer than the fair sun, moon and sparkling stars. Jesus’ beauty does not corrode as the beauty of a fresh new human life often tragically does. Jesus’ beauty is perfected in his living– in his self-giving love for sinners, the poor, his recalcitrant disciples, the misguided Pharisees, the brutal soldiers at the end. His love transforms even the ugliness of the cross. The beauty of God’s self-giving love in Jesus draws us to God, frees us from self-focused living, and invites us to enjoy God: “Glory and honor, Praise, adoration, Now and forevermore be Thine!” Prayer: Beautiful Savior, truly I’d love Thee, truly I’d serve Thee, Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown. Make my sorrowing spirit sing. Amen. - Page 37 - - Page 38 - Who is Covenant? “We are an open and welcoming community that honors diversity and values an informed faith.” Covenant is a progressive Presbyterian congregation located in the heart of Madison´s near west side. Ours is an exciting ministry centered in worship, nurtured in education, and lived out in mission to the world. We seek to provide opportunities for people of all ages to grow in their relationship with God, to have fellowship with others, and to love and serve God in daily life. We are an open and welcoming community that honors diversity and values an informed faith. We are a community that seeks to be a church home for all ages and for families of all kinds. Adult Education Ministries: Covenant is a vibrant community committed to providing high-quality Christian education. Presenters from all walks of life provide opportunities to learn Bible basics, understand Bible complexity, develop skills in interpreting scripture and apply it to daily living. Youth Ministry: Youth Connection is meant to be a place in which, a middle school or high school youth can experience the community of Christ. Youth groups are open to all youth in grades 6th12th, both members and non-members. Music Ministries: Musical opportunities include Adult Chancel Choir, Celebration Choir for children, Middle School Bell Choir, our youth contemporary band, Exodus, and the New Day contemporary service, which blends musical genres, instruments and vocals. Health & Wellness Ministry: The Health Ministries program encourages each person’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well being in relationship with God and one another. Mission: We strive to provide sustained support to local and international organizations with donations and volunteer time from its members. This commitment is sharing God’s love and working for justice in the world at home and far away. Children’s Ministry: We celebrate children and families and teach all how to be faithful disciples through Christian education, worship, outreach and mission, family fellowship, and music. - Page 39 - December Worship Schedule Sunday, December 1 - First Sunday of Advent: HOPE 8:30am New Day Worship & 10:45am Traditional Worship Sacrament of Holy Communion Scripture: Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 Sermon:The Songs of Christmas, "Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming" Preacher:Charlie Berthoud Sunday, December 8 - Second Sunday of Advent: PEACE 8:30am New Day worship with Exodus & Celebration Choir 10:45am Traditional Worship with Celebration Choir & Middle School Bells Scripture: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Matthew 3:1-12 Sermon:The Songs of Christmas, "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" Preacher: Charlie Berthoud Sunday, December 15 - Third Sunday of Advent: JOY 8:30am & 10:45am "Singing The Songs of Christmas" Musical presentation by the Chancel Choir Sunday, December 22 - Fourth Sunday of Advent: LOVE 8:30am New DayWorship 10:45am Traditional Worship with Chancel Choir & Don Hausch on trumpet Scripture: Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 Sermon:The Songs of Christmas, "Love Has Come" Preacher: Charlie Berthoud Tuesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Services 5:00pm Christmas Eve Pageant & Family Worship 8:00pm Traditional Christmas Eve Worship with musical prelude beginning at 7:30pm Sermon: The Songs of Christmas, "Joy To The World" Sunday, December 29 - First Sunday After Christmas Day One Service at 9:30am Christmas Music, Reflections and Prayers - Page 40 - Please join us on Christmas Eve,Tuesday, December 24th for Candlelight Services; Christmas Eve Pageant & FamilyWorship at 5:00pm &Traditional Worship at 8:00pm with Extended Prelude at 7:30pm There will be one worship service at 9:30am on Sunday, December 29th and a return to regular services of 8:30am & 10:45am, Sunday School, & Adult Education on Sunday, January 5th. Covenant Presbyterian Church 326 S. Segoe Road, Madison,WI 53705 www.covenantmadison.org [email protected]
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