Category Archives: Advent

Sunday, December 25

On, on they send, on without end, their joyful tone, to every home.
From Carol of the Bells

By Rev. Carol Bennett-Barker

Carol of the Bells,” also known as the Ukrainian Carol, was adapted from Shchedryk by Mykola Leontovych (1877-1921), and was first performed in December 1916 by students at Kiev University. The original Ukrainian song is based on an old Slavic legend that every bell in the world rang in honor of Jesus on the night of his birth.

Today is Christmas! Bells are ringing around the world – do you hear that beautiful sound of celebration and praise? “On, on they send, on without end, their joyful tone, to every home” – wild, jubi­lant ringing—big bells, tiny bells—and all to celebrate the birthday of the King of Kings! There is no greater joy—our Savior is born today! He has come to set the captives free, to restore peace and justice—to radically change the world by changing our hearts!

Jesus is our hope, our peace, our joy, because of love! And it’s the craziest kind of love imaginable for us sinners—a bunch of misfits blind to our faults and politically correct passivity, distanced from the needs of others , with their suffering, struggles, and vulnerabil­ity. Jesus came to remind us we are all made in the image of God—God the Creator of all, source of all love, grace, and power. Jesus came to remind us who we really are! Children of the Heav­enly Father—born to dance, sing, and rejoice in His light and love!

Celebrate today and every day with abandon—with many em­braces, with thanksgiving, with love for everyone who crosses your path and your mind! It’s Christmas, and we are blessed forever and ever! Let your life be like those wonderful bells, lifting their sweet tones to heaven, “on, on they send, on without end, their joyful tone, to every home”!

Prayer: Happy birthday, Jesus! We love You, we worship You, we give You our praise! Make our lives a reflection of You!—a song of love that never, ever ends, to all the world. In Your pre­cious name we pray, Amen!

Saturday, December 24

To save us all from Satan’s power, when we had gone astray
From God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

By Mike H.

In 1833, William Sandy published, Collection of Seasonal Hymns that contains the song, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” It states that this carol may be one of the oldest, dating back to the 15th

century. In its first stanza there are two very important thoughts to ponder: “Remember, Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas day” and “To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.”

The words, “our Savior” compose a statement of all-inclusive con­cern. There is no limit placed here. Christ was born for anyone who believes in Him. There is no time limit, job, or statement needed other than belief. With belief, any are among the “our.”

Second is, “When we were gone astray.” “We” is everyone, not a separate group or just evil people. Then, “were” means we have all already gone astray (and will probably again). None of us is free from wandering . . . even after we “believe.”

Later, in the 4th stanza, there are two more lines to give us hope: “’Fear not then,’ said the angel,” and “to free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might.” These are wonderful procla­mations of hope and joy. To trust is to believe, to believe is to know Christ. If we remember this, Christ is our companion and Savior.

Prayer: Father in heaven, may tomorrow be a rebirth of our belief in the child sent to us. May we rediscover the joy of the relation­ship with our Savior. Help us grasp the joy of a life in the presence of the Christ for all the days of our lives.

Friday, December 23

Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart.
From In the Bleak Midwinter

By Jami H.

It’s so true that when winter’s darkness comes, our spirits feel shrouded, gloomy. We awaken in the dark and leave work at day’s end in the dark. Too often, the blustery wind moves us from place to place without our even looking up at the world around us. We hunker down, waiting for spring’s call. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Today’s Christmas song paints a vivid picture of the harsh, unwel­coming world to which Jesus was born: “Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.” Times back then were much tougher. Fur­naces? Indoor plumbing? Insulated snow boots? Not so much. Yet, Mary knew what was important and “worshipped the beloved with a mother’s kiss.” And the shepherds and wise men gave freely of what they did have. They paid no attention to their cruel conditions; rather, they focused on the gift of the Christ child, and, in turn, gave what they could in humbleness and gratitude.

What if we did the same? What if, every single dark day this win­ter, we awakened with the thought of giving ourselves, our hearts, to Christ for the day? Wouldn’t the days seem brighter, more pur­pose-filled? Wouldn’t we walk with a livelier step as we lived out such a contract with God, the giver of all good things? Just think how quickly the snow and cold would take second fiddle to the pleasure of knowing that Christ is at our center, and our heart is safely in His hands! I can’t imagine a better way to live each day, even during the winter.

Prayer: Mighty God, thank you for the gift of your son. You have modeled for us the act of selfless giving, and for that we give you praise. Now help each of us to give you our most precious posses­sion – our heart – in full gratitude to you, knowing that you are the giver of light and life. In your Son’s holy name, Amen.

Thursday, December 22

From paradise to earth He came, that we with Him might dwell.
From Gesu Bambino

By Rich T.

Gesu Bambino (Baby Jesus) is an Italian Christmas Carol. It’s probably not among the top 20, or even the top 50 Christmas songs on anyone’s list. Even so, it does have a beautiful melody.

Its chorus is the same as O Come All Ye Faithful, “O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.” I heard the song several times in the 1980s on a TV Christmas special, Christmas with Luciano Pava­rotti, which was usually aired at 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday night.

For 95 percent of the song, the lyrics have images of the blessed child on the holy night and angels and shepherds with their grate­ful chorus. Then in the final two lines of the second verse, the song foreshadows what the baby is to become, “From paradise to earth he came, that we with him might dwell.”

That phrase changes the song from the innocence of the infant Jesus and introduces us to the Savior Christ who was and is and will be. Jesus came from paradise to earth. That means he existed with God in heaven before he was born. Then he came to earth. Why? So that we with him might dwell. Are we going to dwell with him on earth? No. We are going to dwell with him in heaven. This is the resurrection Jesus in a Christmas song!

Gesu Bambino is a beautiful song that will put you in a worshipful Christmas mood. You can find it online at:

Prayer: Loving and Merciful God, Thank you for the gifts of music and lyrics that we can use to worship you in a way that transcends words alone. Thank you for sending Jesus that we with Him might dwell. Amen

Wednesday, December 21

The Child, the Child, sleeping through the night, He will bring us goodness and light.
From Do You Hear What I Hear?

By Tori G.

A child sleeping through the night is every new mother’s dream, but I’m fairly certain Mary is the only mom in history whose newborn actually did. The rest of us muddle through for weeks or months, popping up with every nocturnal whimper and sleepwalk­ing through the days. I’ve experienced this dog-tiredness three times now, and while it’s for a good cause—the best, really—it’s far from easy.

But here’s the thing. Now that my youngest is sleeping through the night, there’s a small part of me that misses those middle-of-the­night feedings. At times, it was almost physically painful to swim up from the depths of blissful sleep, try to shake off the bleariness and nurse my babies. But I’ve also never felt anything like the utter joy of nourishing my child in the peaceful still of the night, gaze to gaze, connecting on a soul level.

It’s a reminder that even in the most difficult times, God is always good. It may seem impossible, but there’s always something for which we can give Him praise and, yes, something we’ll miss once the trying days have passed. Consider how this has been true in your life. In hindsight, can you appreciate the hours of bedside conversation or hand-holding you were blessed to experience dur­ing a loved one’s illness? Have you ever longed to relive the early days of your marriage, when money was as tight as your bond?

In the midst of pain, there is a plan. Wherever you are in your life right now—whether it’s a joyous time or an undeniable rough patch—what can you give thanks for right this very minute? Choosing to recognize hidden blessings creates light in the dark­ness and allows you to look back in gratitude rather than with regrets of “Had I known then . . .”

Prayer: Dear God, help us appreciate the abundant blessings of each moment. Use all of our experiences to guide us toward the ultimate goal: Your eternal presence. Amen.

Tuesday, December 20

Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.
From Go Tell It on the Mountain

By Lois F.

Go, tell, the Good News! Tell everyone that ‘Emmanuel’ has come.

The shepherds found out first while doing what they do. The poor in spirit, the meek, the ragamuffins of life—God has a fondness for the ‘shepherds’ of this world. He comes when we notice a light that shines from a hill of humility and servanthood.

The shepherds feared and trembled. Did we—do we still—have awe and wonder? Are we yet able to be amazed by His wonders and blessings?

God sent us Salvation like only He could. God commands us to be disciples, to deliver His message—truth and forgiveness, peace with joy, love unconditional and life everlasting.

Go, tell, the Good News! Tell the ragamuffins in your circle of life. Tell your family. Tell everyone—regardless of ethnicity, gender and station in life! Stand on the mountain and share the light!

Prayer: Creator God, let us be your light in the world. Let us tell of your Good News.

Monday, December 19

With the poor, the scorned, the lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.
From Once in Royal David’s City

By Robin R.

Sometimes God’s plans are mysteries to us. We look around and see how things are going and just can’t figure out what He’s trying to tell us. Other times His intention is perfectly clear. His sending of Jesus is one of the latter.

The prophecies called for an heir to David’s throne, one who would have authority to bring all the nations of Israel back together. People were waiting for a king, one who would sit on a throne and reign over all. But God had other plans—he sent Jesus, conceived to an unwed woman and raised by a carpenter. God and his son told us in no uncertain terms that political clout and riches aren’t what matter.

In case we weren’t sure of that message just from Jesus’ birth somewhere outside a hotel during tax season, Jesus spent his ministry preaching that the meek shall inherit the earth, that the meager offerings of the poor are sometimes worth more than riches, that whenever someone feeds the hungry or tends to the sick, they are feeding Him. He had dinner with sinners. His disci­ples were just regular “joes.” There are too many examples to list here. The message is simple: you do not have to be rich or fancy or perfectly pure to be saved, or to save others.

But have we really learned that message? How many of us regu­larly feel unworthy— just not good enough or strong enough or powerful enough to be called by God? Poppycock. If carpenters and fishermen and tax collectors were good enough to bring the good news, then so are you.

Prayer: Merciful God, Help us to see that we, too, are being called to usher in Your Kingdom here on earth. Show us the way to deliver Your message of hope and peace to others, using the gifts and talents You have given us. Grant us the strength to carry out Your mission even when we feel unworthy or unwilling. Amen.

Sunday, December 18

The King of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone Him
From What Child Is This

By Susan A.

I ask myself…What child is This?

This hymn is easy to relate to for me. After all, how can I as­sume that the people visiting the stable knew what this simple baby would mean to the world? How can I assume they knew who sent Him and why He was born? After all, there was no new testa­ment. There were no praise songs. There were no Max Lucado books. How can I assume they recognized the Savior when I con­tinually struggle to define what that baby means to me?

I like to analyze the past. I look into situations and hope to find meaning. This Christmas season, however, my goal is not to waste energy finding meaning in the past but to look toward the future. Advent is the season of preparation, after all. What better way than beginning to explore who the babe is and what He can mean to me.

What child is this who is sleeping on Mary’s lap? The Bible tells me He was sent for me. What does that mean? Who can He become in my life? This advent, prepare for more than Christmas day. Prepare for the child’s meaning to take new form in your life. As Christians, it is not about a birthday but a new Life with that child.

Prayer: Dear God, Give me the courage to focus on the future. Help me to explore the possibilities of this child. To let Him be what God meant Him to be in my life each day. Amen.