“Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”

In many churches I’ve attended it is a tradition to close the Christmas Eve service by singing Silent Night.  This carol was written and first sung in Oberndorf, Austria. Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in Heavenly peace! […]

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Journey to Bethlehem

God spoke through the prophet Malachi who told of a messenger to come. God was then silent for over 400 years…and Israel waited. Then God acted, and the journey to Bethlehem began… But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son… Galatians 4:4a – God, after He spoke long ago to the […]

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“Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour”

– For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 – The lyrics of “Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour” were written in China by Frank Houghton, an Englishman.  […]

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“God and Sinners Reconciled!”

One of my pastors once said that all of America has heard the Gospel in Christmas carols. There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” because it’s sung in two Christmas classics shown annually on television in the United States. In each classic the main character goes through a hard time with […]

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“There’s Still My Joy”

I don’t know that either the person who wrote the lyrics or the one who composed the music of this song is a Christian, but the words still grasp and express truths about Christmas Day. While birds don’t give us peace, God is able to do so in the midst of our sorrows. Though we […]

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“Somewhere In Your Silent Night”

Christmas and the holiday season are not always times that are cheery and bright. Loneliness and loss have a sharper edge then in contrast with our longings for warmth and love and joy. Suffering and grief can also inflict a terrible sense of alienation on our hearts. We can feel as if we don’t matter. […]

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“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ our Saviour Was born on Christmas day, To save us all from Satan’s power When we were gone astray: O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy! The angel to the shepherds: In the same region there […]

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“Joy to the World!”

“Joy to the World” is one of my favorite Christmas carols. The words are based on Psalm 98, and it is one of the more than 600 hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748).1 Watts wrote the hymn not about the First Advent of Christ, however, but about His Second. “Joy to the World” was in […]

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“For Unto Us A Child Is Born…”

The wonder and glory and hope of the birth of Jesus resound. 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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 – __________ […]

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