What About Us?

From Chapter 1 of Radical, by David Platt:

What if I were a potential disciple being told to drop my nets?  What if you were the man whom Jesus told to not even say goodbye to his family? What if we were told to hate our families and give up everything we had in order to follow Jesus?

This is where we come face to face with a dangerous reality. We do have to give up everything we have to follow Jesus. We do have to love Him in a way that makes our closest relationships in this world look like hate. And it is entirely possible that He will tell us to sell everything we have and give it to the poor.

But we don’t want to believe it. We’re afraid of what it might mean for our lives. So we rationalize these passages away. “Jesus wouldn't really tell us not to bury our father or say goodbye to our family. Jesus didn't literally mean to sell all we have and give it to the poor. What Jesus really meant was ...”

And this is where we need to pause. Because we’re starting to redefine Christianity. We’re taking the Jesus of the Bible and molding Him into our image—a nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who’d never call us to give away all we have. A Jesus who wouldn't expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that He receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that doesn't infringe on our comforts, because, after all, He loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream.

But do you realize what we are doing at this point?  We are molding Jesus into our image.  He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with.  And the danger now is that when we gather in out church buildings to sing and lift up out hands in worship, we may not actually be worshiping the Jesus of the Bible.  Instead we may be worshiping ourselves.

A true sign of age is the speed of time

There's nothing new in saying, "Time goes faster as you  get older."

So when you say to yourself, "I just listened to that CD in my car the other day," and the memory of you listening to it has you in a car you had "2 cars ago" driving to a house you had "2 houses ago," then chances are time has sped up just a bit and you're a little older than you realize.  Especially when you sold the house you were driving to 7 years ago.

Snow Day Activities (Test)

Test Publish of Pictures

Personent Hodie

This one most have not heard.  As a matter of fact, a few years ago, my son's choir teacher was givwn credit for writing it!  Anyhow, it sticks with me and has become the one I want to hear during this time.

On this day earth shall ring
With a song children sing
To the Lord, Christ our king,
Born on earth to save us,
Him the Father gave us,
Ideo, gloria, in excelsis deo.

His the doom, ours the mirth
When he came down to earth
Bethlehem saw his birth,
Ox and ass beside him
From the cold would hide him.
Ideo, gloria, in excelsis deo.

Sing aloud on this day,
Children all raise the lay
Cheerfully we and they
Hasten to adore thee.
Sent from highest glory.
For us born on this morn
Of the Virgin Mary.

Magi three traveling,
Their gifts offering,
A star following
In the east was shining
Their pathways guiding
Frankincense, gold, and myrrh
Were the gifts they offered.

And since today is a celebration, here's another version:

How Great Our Joy

While by the sheep we watched at night,
Glad tidings brought an angel bright!

Refrain:

How great our joy! Great our joy!
Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

There shall be born, so He did say,
In Bethlehem a Child today!

Refrain

There shall the Child lie in a stall,
This Child who shall redeem us all!

Refrain

This gift of God we'll cherish well,
That ever joy our hearts shall fill!

Refrain

Christmas: Now and Then

A quick study in contrast... Advent Now, while commercialism invades every aspect of Christmas, we attend parties, sing carols, wish people well, and make/eat a lot of rich food. Then, Mary was in hiding, public shame was likely on both her and her husband, and nothing else in society had changed but this Roman requirement to go to your ancestor's home town for a census. Christmas Eve Now, we celebrate the religious aspect of Christmas. We go to church, eat more rich food and begin opening gifts. Then, Mary and Joseph were traveling 80+ miles to Bethlehem, or sitting in a smelly cave while contractions were beginning. Christmas Day Now, for most a frenzy of activity of opening and receiving gifts, more rich food, (more acid reducers), lots of garbage and clutter in the house, and seem very exhausted people. Then, well there are some similarities here. A frenzy of activity, the pain came first, but then the smiles came. There was plenty of garbage and clutter, I'm sure. Shepherds were also freaking out and some folks from the east arere blown away at the sight of a new start in the west. They probably begin to look at manuscripts and begin wondering if they should follow the star somewhere. After Christmas Day Now, the celebration, sadly, is over. Everything begins to return to normal, except for perhaps some frenzied shoppers and returners in the stores. Virtually all Christmas music stops. And parents begin to put things back in their normal spots in the house. Then, I suspect more activity in the stall. Joseph is actively looking for a decent place for his family, and perhaps he's planning a circumcision ceremony as well. Magi are learning what the star means, packing up some gifts and getting a caravan ready for a very long trip. Shepherds are probably trying to convince others about what had happened the day before. Back then, what celebration there was probably just beginning.

Away in a Manger (in 4)

I like this version mainly because it's not the way we always hear it.  (The same reason I like "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name in 3)

Away in a manger,

No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

For Unto Us a Child is Born

For unto us a Child is born 
Unto us a Son is given 
And the government 
Shall be upon His shoulder 
And his name shall be called 
Wonderful 
Counselor 
The Mighty God 
The Everlasting Father 
The Prince of Peace.

Unto Us is Born a Son

Not exactly what you might think it is....

Unto us is born a son,
King of choirs supernal:
See on earth his life begun,
Of lords the Lord eternal.

Christ, from heav'n descending low,
Comes on earth a stranger;
Ox and ass their Owner know
Now cradled in a manger.

This did Herod sore affray,
And did him bewilder,
So he gave the word to slay,
And slew the little childer.

Of his love and mercy mild
Hear the Christmas story:
O that Mary's gentle Child
Might lead us up to glory!

O and A and A and O,
Cantemus in choro,
Voice and organ, sing we so,
Benedicamus Domino.

Once in David's Royal City

Once in royal Davids city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

For He is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us, He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles, like us He knew;
And He cares when we are sad,
And he shares when we are glad.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heaven above:
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.

Celebrate the Child

Another Contemporary Christmas song oft overlooked

Chorus
Celebrate the Child who is the Light
Now the darkness is over
No more wandering in the night
Celebrate the Child who is the Light

You know this is no fable
Godhead and manhood became one
We see He's more than able
And so we live to God the Son

Chorus

First born of creation
Lamb and Lion, God and Man
The Author of Salvation
Almighty rapped in swaddling bands

Chorus

In the First Light

A more contemporary Favorite which puzzles me more that I don't hear this (and the one I will post tomorrow) on Christmas (and Christian) radio

In the first light of a new day 
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a new born softly cried.

But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That her baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.

He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.

He has left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He´d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev´ry man.

Hear the angels as they´re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again
When He comes again

Hear the angels as they´re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth

Lo, How a Rose e'er Blooming

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jese's lineage coming,
As men of old have sung.
It came a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The Virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright,
She bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

This Flow'r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness ev'rywhere.
True man yet very God;
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens ev'ry load.

Gesu Bambino

I Absolutely Love this...

When blossoms flower e'er 'mid the snows, 
Upon a winter night, 
Was born The Child, the Christmas Rose, 
The King of Love and Light. 
The angels sang, the shepherds sang, 
The grateful earth rejoiced; 
And at his blessed birth the stars 
Their exultation voiced. 

Chorus: 
O come let us adore him 
O come let us adore him 
O come let us adore him 
Christ the lord. 

Again the heart with rapture glows 
To greet the holy night, 
That gave the world it's Christmas Rose, 
Its King of Love and Light 
Let ev'ry voice acclaim his name, 
The grateful chorus swell 
From paradise to earth he came 
That we with him might dwell. 

Chorus