Advent 14

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Kath

A classic advent hymn for today. My body has succumbed to an evil cold but I’m surrounded by warmth in our flat again now the gas has been put back on.  We have a pretty Christmas tree all lit up and holidays are but days away. Christmas is just next week. Here it is good to stop and sing and remember the real hope Christmas brings.  Our rest is in Him through the busy days ahead:

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

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Advent 13

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Kath

“O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas Angels,
The great glad tidings tell,
O come to us, Abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel.”

Emmanuel is the word that is most likely to send shivers up my spine. I can’t help but grin like an idiot when belting out the last verse of this carol. It’s all I long for deep down inside. That I could hang out with God, that he would abide with me. It’s a wonder that will not be drowned out by my cynisim, doubt, pessimism or whatever black thoughts I throw at it. Emmanuel and my heart sings, Emmanuel and I drink it in. Emmanuel and I am home again.

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Advent 12

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Kath

Whispers of hope are dawning in the darkness. Hints of a world beyond what we can see and taste and touch. The mysterious starts to be revealed and made known. The curtain twitches and slowly draws back.

A little bit like when the children learn of Aslan for the first time:

“Here the Beaver’s voice sank into silence and it gave one or two very mysterious nods. Then, signalling to the children to stand as close around it as they possibly could, so that their faces were actually tickled by its whiskers, it added in a low whisper –

‘They say Aslan is on the move — perhaps has already landed.’

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning — either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.”

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Advent 11

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Kath

“Shepherds in the fields abiding
Watching over your flocks by night
God with man is now residing
Yonder shines the Infant light
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ the newborn King”
(Angels from the Realms of Glory)

God with man is now residing.
Mull on that for a while and let your mind be blown. God comes and moves into the neighbourhood, God makes his dwelling place with us. Light comes into the darkness. Hope is born in the most unusual of settings.

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Advent 10

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Kath

Isaiah 9:

“1 [a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.”

And for those who like your Handel, well, a little bit more joyful… *warning- for a specialised taste only (which may well only be the Arnold family…)

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