Month: December 2023

the Communion table – a Christmas table

Posted on by Grace Day

The Communion table is a table of commemoration and a table of celebration. It is a table at which we are each invited to dine. Known for being a “Last Supper” kind of a table – the Communion table is a Christmas or an Advent table among the many other things that it also is. It is a Christmas table because we celebrate that Christ came, even as we simultaneously acknowledge that we are looking forward to His return.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given.” (Isaiah 9:6)

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)

The Communion table is a Thanksgiving table.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

The Communion table is an Independence Day table.

“for we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7)

Isaiah said he was sent to “proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1)

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

“it is for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

The Communion table is a family table.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) 

The Communion table is a table of acceptance.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me, I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)

The Communion table is a table of provision.

“Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ “ (Genesis 22:8)

“and my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

The Communion table is a table of plenty.

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.’ “ (John 6:35)

“They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.” (Mark 6:42-43)

The Communion table is a table of promise.

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ’Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ “ (Isaiah 1:18)

The Communion table is a table of healing.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) 

The Communion table is a table of hope.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.’ “ (John 11:25-26)

The Communion table is a table of infinite mercy. 

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103: 10-13)

The Communion table is a table of sacrifice.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, . . . But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

“Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The Communion table is a table of redemption.

“and with Your blood You purchased men for God.” (Revelation 5:9)

The Communion table is a table of miracles.

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” (Matthew 28:6-7)

The Communion table is a table of victory.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

The Communion table is a table of life.

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

The Communion table is a table of love.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

“I am the Good Shepherd . . . and I lay down My life for the sheep. . . . No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.” (John 10:14-18)

When we come to the Communion table, we are invited into Christmas, Thanksgiving, freedom, family, and acceptance. The Communion table is a place of provision, of plenty, of promise, of healing, of hope, of mercy, and of redemption. Communion is a meal made possible by sacrifice, specifically by the sacrificial gift God gave to us at Christmas, the gift of His only Son, Jesus, who became the perfect sacrifice for my sins and for your sins, who gave His life that you and I might live. 

The Communion table truly is a table of miracles, of victory over sin and death. It is a table full of life and of love. And miracle of miracles, you and I, and each and every person, have a seat at this table. We are invited to participate in the Communion that is the Lord’s Supper. The choice is ours. The Communion Table is open to all.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; (which is poured out for you – Luke 22:20) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

I am so grateful to be invited to participate in this Communion meal, a meal full of hope and of promise – the hope and promise I so long for as I enter into this new year –

sincerely,  Grace Day 

    

 

Advent’s aftermath

Posted on by Grace Day

The party is over. That’s right. The worldwide birthday party of the King has come to a close. The songs have all been sung, the candles blown out, the cake cut and consumed, the presents opened, the festive foods eaten and enjoyed, the party games have all been played and the party guests are now all gone home – leaving wrinkled wrapping paper, outdated decorations and an eerie silence in their wake. This celebration has definitely come to an end.

Which is why the aftermath of Advent feels so, . . . so, so something indescribably sad and empty. When the candles on the cake go out, all the good wishes and goodwill seem to evaporate with the smoke from the burnt out candles, leaving the party goers let down and longing to experience again the anticipation that fills Advent in those days leading up to the arrival of the guest of honor, who is Jesus, the Holy Child, the Messiah, the King of all kings. 

Advent’s aftermath is always a let down after the frenzy of excited preparation and the fun of participation in all the festivities that accompany the celebration of Christmas. But now what? If you are asking yourself this question in the aftermath of the month long party that we have all just attended in some way, at some time – you are not alone. Mary and Joseph experienced this post Advent pause after the initial celebration of Jesus’s birth.

Think about it. On the night of Jesus’s birth an angel appeared to the shepherds, bringing them “good news of great joy”, then the sky was filled with the celebration of heavenly hosts praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:14) 

After the angel’s appearance, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus for themselves and to worship Him. A special star even arose in celebration of Jesus’s birth, which would guide the Wise Men to the newborn King, because they desired to see Jesus for themselves and to worship Him. All of creation was rejoicing at God’s gift of His Son to mankind. But the celebration wouldn’t last.

Soon enough, Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and go to Egypt, because King Herod was searching for the newborn King, baby Jesus, with the intention of killing Him before He could rise to power. How quickly the situation turned from celebration and joy on the night of Jesus’s birth, to annihilation and fear in the months and years that followed. And this would not be the last time that human feelings and fortunes turned so completely and so quickly from worshiping Jesus to murdering Him.

Consider Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem years later, which is described in this way –

“When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ “ (Mark 11:9-10) 

This scene was quite a celebration of Jesus, it was an event full of joy and praise and hope. That’s why what happened just a few days later is so surprising. The same people who had been shouting “Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were now shouting something quite different from before, something in direct opposition to their previous praises and shouts of joy. Their words of affirmation were replaced with words of condemnation, their joy replaced with misplaced anger. 

The crowd that had shouted “Hosanna!” so recently, was now shouting “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” in answer to Pilate’s question as to what should be done with Jesus. The crowd wanted Barabbas (a known murderer) released and they wanted Jesus crucified. How quickly this change of heart occurred! One day they welcomed Jesus in, the next day they demanded He be crucified.

So what will my own Advent aftermath look like? I made room, I prepared, I welcomed in the King of kings and Lord of lords with joy and expectation. The anticipation of Advent is over. The King has come. I let Him in. Will I let Him stay and make His home with me? Or will I allow the things of this world to crowd Him out? Will there again be no room in the inn or in my life for the One who gives me life and sustains my life? He has come to stay. Will I let Him make His home with me? His promise is offered to me and to you –

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) 

“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’ “ (John 14:23)

Let my heart prepare Him room, not a guest room which is temporary, but let my heart prepare Jesus a home, which is permanent. Jesus came to stay. He came to take up residence with those He came to rescue and redeem. (“those” being me and you, dear readers) Having prepared for His coming, I want now to move beyond Advent to the adventure of daily life lived in the presence and the power of Christ, the King of glory.

The birthday party may be over, the candles blown out – but the Light of the world is here to stay, to make His home with all who will receive Him. The aftermath of Advent is not the end – it is the beginning of the new life Jesus came to bring us, abundant and full. His mercies are new every morning and His supply of compassion, forgiveness, love and acceptance is infinite. Every day is a reason to celebrate with Jesus present. The “after Advent” party is just getting started and I don’t want to miss out. 

Lord, You say if I’ll let You in, You’ll make Your home with me. I’m counting on that as I open up my heart to You. In the aftermath of Advent, I don’t want to inadvertently push You out again. As the song says, “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.”

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

   

Advent’s answer

Posted on by Grace Day

Who is this baby in the manger, that He makes the angels sing?

Who is this baby in the manger, that He makes the heavens ring?

Who is this baby in the manger, that wise men leave their homes?

That shepherds shout hosana, the King is on His throne!

Who is this baby in the manger, that the world should rejoice His birth?

Who is this baby in the manger, that He brings such joy to earth?

Who is this baby in the manger, so filled with truth and grace,

that Wise Men traveled long and far, just to behold His face? 

Who is this baby in the manger, that He fills our darkness with His light?

this baby who will one day heal the sick, and give the blind their sight?

Who is this baby in the manger, that He brings the world such love?

He’s the Holy King, the Prince of Peace, He’s the Son of God above!

His reign shall be forever, His kingdom know no end,

He will come in power and glory, when He comes to earth again.

Now I know the baby in the manger, I know why the angels sing,

They sing for the babe in the manger, who is Jesus, the Heavenly King! 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

sincerely,  Grace Day 

happy birthday Baby!

Posted on by Grace Day

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’ “ (Matthew 1:23)

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ “ (Luke 2:10-12)

Happy Birthday, Baby and welcome to our world –

angels announced Your arrival, the stars in the heavens unfurled

to welcome You on that Silent Night when all creation sang –

across the hills of Bethlehem such good tidings rang!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.”

bearing witness to the long-awaited miracle of Your birth –

Immanuel, God with us, our Redeemer come to earth.

You left Your home in glory, to make Your home with men,

We were not worthy, still You came, to take away our sin.

God’s gift to me in the manger lay, over two-thousand years ago –

this same gift is offered me still today, I dare not let it go

unacknowledged, unwrapped, ungratefully unreceived,

this gift of God will change my life, if only I believed.

in the power of the Baby in the manger to bring a dying world life,

to bring His light into our darkness and His peace into our strife. 

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ “ (Luke 2:14) 

Oh, Immanuel, Immanuel! You have come to rescue and redeem the lost.

How glad I am that you came for me, Your love overcoming all cost.

“He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:8)

Oh, happy birthday, Baby – I’m so glad you came!

I will celebrate Your birthday and forever praise Your name!

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

Your birth changed the world forever, bringing us hope and truth and grace,

So we celebrate Your birthday, the day true love found its face.

“We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

sincerely,  Grace Day 

Advent’s perfect timing

Posted on by Grace Day

Well, there are some presents under the tree at present – so preparations are moving forward as Advent swiftly approaches. And yes, there is now a tree. This is an update to the previous post in which it appeared the Grinch had successfully grabbed Christmas and run away with it. But today – “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” here, if I may be so bold as to borrow the title of that well known Christmas song. I am making up for lost time or redeeming the time, so to speak.

However, I take comfort in and draw hope from the fact that my Heavenly Father is Sovereign over all time and manages it perfectly. Unlike my own, God’s timing is always perfect. He is never early, nor is He ever late. I feel like some time has been taken from me, during this season of Advent when I most need time in order to prepare properly for the upcoming celebration. Time seems to be a taker. Over the years, time has taken those I have loved along with relationships and opportunities. Still, I have hope because of God’s promise in Joel –

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25)

I love the hope of those words. All is not lost forever. My Heavenly Father is the God of reconciliation and restoration. He certainly restored to Job all he had lost and more. But it’s more than material possessions. God says He will restore “the years that the locust hath eaten.” The years – that’s time. Only God can restore time. God alone is from all eternity. God alone “makes known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” (Isaiah 46:10) Only God can restore the years that He ordained from all eternity. Time is in God’s hands. In Ecclesiastes I read –

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

We are in the season of Advent currently, celebrating the arrival of God’s Son, Jesus here on earth. This miraculous event, planned before the foundation of the world, took place exactly when God intended it to happen. Jesus’s birth occurred in God’s perfect timing. 

“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

The NLT translation says, “When the right time came” – assurance to us that Jesus came at just the right time in human history. He came according to God’s timetable, not man’s, even though the people had long been looking for the appearance of their promised Messiah. But since God is the creator and establisher of the eternal timetable, it is His timing which prevails and His timing is always perfect. I can count on God’s perfect timing in my own life and in the events of human history. 

Jesus’s Advent or arrival was God’s perfect timing, as was Jesus’s sacrificial death. Romans tells us this –

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 4:6) 

Jesus came to us in God’s perfect timing. He laid down His life for us in God’s perfect timing and now we await His return, His second coming, knowing that it will be in God’s perfect timing as well, even though the wait seems overly long to us now. But we are reminded in Peter –

“With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in Keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter:3:8-9)

“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” (2 Peter 3:15)

Evidence of God’s perfect timing, not slowness but patience – His patience towards each one of us, a patience full of compassion, mercy and hope – His hope that we will come to know the truth of who His Son Jesus is, that we will prepare Him room and invite Him in. This is the hope of Advent – that as we prepare to celebrate the Christ Child’s coming, we are also preparing to receive Him again when He returns.   

We don’t know when Christ will return, only that it will be in God’s perfect timing. In Matthew I read –

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. . . . Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. . . . So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Matthew 24:36, 42,44)

In God’s perfect timing, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In God’s perfect timing, Jesus died on that cross for my sins and rose again. And in God’s perfect timing, Jesus is coming back for me. 

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3)

Mine is to wait, to watch, to prepare for the Advent of His coming, to be ready to let Him in when He arrives. Jesus has come. Jesus is coming again! Both events are worth celebrating. Jesus calls out to us –

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) 

Advent – preparing to receive Him, preparing to let Him in

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

Advent approaches – will the Grinch grab Christmas?

Posted on by Grace Day

Today, Advent continues its steady advance, unfazed by any unforeseen obstacles that would slow its approach or block its path. Advent is unstoppable. God’s gift to mankind will be delivered (oh good pun, right?) in a timely manner and nothing will delay or deter the arrival of Immanuel – God with us. 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,” (Isaiah 9:6)

So the Messiah arrives on time. But will I be ready? Ready to celebrate His arrival properly that is? You see, I’ve had a few setbacks. First, due to a bad cold, I haven’t left the house in five days. Those were five days I had fully filled (in my head and on my “to do” lists) with all the things I was going to accomplish during that time to get ready for the celebration of Christmas. (this is when not being a procrastinator would have served me well) So the purchasing of gifts and the procurement of festive foods (or any food) has not been done as I write this sad but true confession.

The second unexpected setback was the need for a plumber’s services. No one ever plans on a plumber – if you need a plumber, it’s because there’s a problem you didn’t plan for or leave room for in your schedule. ”Have a plumber over to the house for a day” was NOT on my original to do list. It got added out of necessity. (of course “get sick” wasn’t an item on my list of things to do either) It’s no wonder these words from Proverbs have been uppermost in my mind these days –

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I had made oh, so many plans, but have actually carried out none of them to date. When my grown children arrive to celebrate Christmas will they find no presents under the tree and the refrigerator empty? Oh, that’s right, there is no tree, I don’t have one. So, the casual observer might conclude that the Grinch has already visited my house and successfully grabbed Christmas while I was otherwise occupied with plumbing problems and personal illness. But this would not be true, because there isn’t anything for the Grinch to grab. I can’t blame the Grinch for my lack of preparedness. The Grinch hasn’t stolen anything from me. There is nothing here for him to steal at present.

Now the reason I always liked the story of the Grinch as a child was because it had a satisfying ending involving a change of heart on the Grinch’s part brought on by the revelation of a very profound truth. The Grinch thought he had stopped Christmas from coming by stealing all the trappings of Christmas, the trees, the presents, the decorations, the food, everything from every Who’s house. He left nothing behind. But on Christmas morning the Grinch heard all the Who’s singing and celebrating. It was then the Grinch had this epiphany -

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ’Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store.’ ’Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!’ “ 

And with that revelation of truth, everything changed for the Grinch. According to the story, his heart grew three sizes and he returned all the stolen trappings of Christmas to each and every Who. The Grinch had stolen the Who’s stuff, but he hadn’t succeeded in stealing Christmas because the gift of Christ, that we celebrate at Christmas, can’t be taken from those who receive God’s gift of His Son.

Advent is about clearing the clutter in order to make room for the Christ Child. The Grinch certainly helped the Whos to make room that day. When everything was stripped away, the Whos still had a reason to sing, a reason to rejoice. The Christ Child still came, God’s gift is still given. And the Whos did sing and celebrate, even though all their food, presents, decorations etc. had been stolen by the Grinch. Sometimes it’s easier to celebrate when the external customs of the season are removed, so we are no longer burying the original event, Christ’s birth, which is “the reason for the season”, as they say, beneath all the man invented, added on customs and traditions now covering up the miraculous event itself, the birth of Immanuel, God with us. 

We don’t want to forget whose birthday party it is that we are attending as invited guests. Sadly though, for many, it does seem to be about the party rather than the Person. Maybe the Grinch will grab Christmas again and do us all the favor of clearing away our clutter, helping us to make room for the Christ Child, something that we can’t seem to get done on our own. So thank you, Mr. Grinch, for stealing what doesn’t matter, so that I can see more clearly that which does matter.

Christmas will come, whether or not I ever get to the store! Let my heart be preparing room for the coming King!  

“She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

Lord Jesus, this Christmas may You be welcomed in everywhere. May You find many hearts that have made room for You to enter in, including my own.

sincerely,  Grace Day 

   

Advent’s songs tell the story

Posted on by Grace Day

I punch the buttons on my car radio as I drive, not satisfied with any of the musical offerings that come into my car with each change of the radio station. I have already grown weary of Jingle Bell Rock, Chestnuts Roasting over an open fire, Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, Santa Claus is coming to town, It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Let it snow, Santa Baby, Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree – well, you get the idea. These “songs of the season” don’t really give me any clue as to who or what we are actually celebrating. 

But there is music that runs through my mind today, filling the silence with it’s almost forgotten words from the past. The song is “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” But as usual I only mostly recall the first verse, so I look up the words to the other three verses to satisfy my curiosity or maybe my longing to bring back those childhood years of singing this and other carols as we celebrated the Advent season. These carols always made so real to me the miracle of Jesus coming here to earth as a baby, the miracle that is Immanuel – God with us. I couldn’t sing the words without reliving the age old story once again. That is still true to this day.

After four hundred years of God’s silence, His people were desperate for His presence. Had they given up hope? Had they stopped watching for His appearance? Seems as if the arrival of the Messiah took them by surprise. Maybe that’s because Jesus wasn’t born in a big, important city such as Jerusalem. He chose instead to be born in a small, out of the way, little known town called Bethlehem. The story is told beautifully in the carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, which as I said, is the song in my head today. It begins -  

“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! . . . Yet in the dark street shineth, the everlasting Light, the hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight. For Christ is born of Mary, . . . O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God, the King, and peace to men on earth.” 

How true the words and how wondrous! Into our darkness comes the Light. All the hopes of mankind are realized in the person of Jesus Christ, and all the fears of man are conquered with His appearance on our behalf. 

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)

“Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ “ (John 8:12) The third verse of the song continues –

“How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.”

This song acknowledges Jesus as “the wondrous Gift given” to us by God and further tells us that we can receive this gift and Jesus will “enter in” if we have prepared a place for Him in our hearts and in our lives, if we have, as another song says – “prepared Him room.”

The fourth verse echoes the yearning of every human heart for redemption from this broken world and for reconciliation with our holy Creator. The carol continues –

“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 Immanuel!”

God did descend to us when Jesus was born in Bethlehem that first Christmas. He did come to cast out our sin, making room, so that He could enter into our lives and we could be born again. He came to abide with us. Jesus is Immanuel!

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The words of the carol tell the story that we celebrate every year. We celebrate the birth of God’s only Son, the birth of the promised Messiah, the birth of the Savior, the birth of the sacrificial Lamb of God, the birth of the Prince of Peace, the birth of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus is all these things and so much more. He brings light into our darkness and hope into our despair. How can we not celebrate that He was born, fulfilling the promise of God to redeem us for Himself? 

When I feel like Christmas is getting lost in the celebrating of the event itself, I find that singing the old songs, songs that tell the story of Christmas, shifts my focus from what surrounds me to the event we say we are celebrating, the event which tore time in two, an event that took place over two thousand years ago, but continues to this day to be the event that changed human history irrevocably, for now and for eternity.

The King has come! The King is coming! Time to celebrate the former while preparing for the latter. The time is now. Advent is here. ”Let every heart prepare Him room!”

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10) 

Lord, King of glory, may my heart not be closed to You this Advent season. 

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

Advent – has the lead been buried?

Posted on by Grace Day

Birthday parties are really fun celebrations. I think back on my own children’s birthday parties and they were always important events that we celebrated with much planning, preparation and anticipation. My children were also guests at numerous birthday parties during those years. These birthdays were celebrated in a variety of ways. Roller skating or bowling were both popular activities with which to celebrate the birthday, as were Build a Bear and Chuck E Cheese as venues. The birthday was celebrated with food and gifts before the final activity of singing to the birthday child, whereafter he or she would blow out the candles on their birthday cake and every guest got to eat some of the coveted cake. Not only did the guests partake of the cake, they were also sent home with goodie bags, containing gifts for themselves even though it wasn’t their birthday. 

Now depending upon how big these parties were and whether it was one where the whole class was invited, the party guests had varying degrees of relationship with the person who had issued the invitation, the person whose birthday was actually being celebrated. But even if a particular guest did not know the person well whose birthday was being celebrated, they could still participate fully in all the activities surrounding the event, such as skating, enjoying the food, singing and eating cake and hanging out with friends at the same party doing the same thing. They didn’t really have to know who they were celebrating in order to enjoy all the various aspects of the party. Maybe it was more about the party than the person anyway?

As adults we may also be guests at events where we don’t know the person being celebrated all that well. It may be a work event honoring a coworker we don’t know personally. But that doesn’t stop us from participating in the festivities, enjoying the food and the fun, even though we have no personal connection to who is being recognized. After all, who doesn’t love a good party? 

I’m thinking this may describe the season and the celebration of Advent we are in today. Christmas is celebrated around the world in many different ways by many different cultures. Christmas is a birthday party – a world wide party celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The name of the holiday literally means “Christ’s mass” or “Christ’s celebration”. That should be a clue right there as to who we are honoring at this party we call Christmas. The guest list for this party is all inclusive. Everyone is invited to come and to celebrate God’s gift to the world of His only Son.

“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. Of the increase 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.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) 

This is really good news! No wonder the month of December around the world is one big birthday party celebration, observed with different foods and customs in different parts of the world – but celebrated nonetheless. We are celebrating the birth of God’s Son, Jesus, the promised Messiah for all mankind. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We may come to this birthday party bearing a gift for the Christ child, like the Wise Men did, when they brought their gifts to Jesus. But if we accept the goodie bag given to us freely at this birthday party, we receive the gift of eternal life. That’s a pretty good gift to take away from this celebration. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) 

Everyone receives an invitation to this birthday party and everyone is offered a goodie bag prepared just for them. There are no exclusions. 

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

People all over the world fully participate in all the activities surrounding the celebration of Christ’s birth, despite the fact they don’t know Him personally. We decorate, we bake cookies, we put up Christmas trees, we give and receive gifts, we sing the songs of the season – which include everything from “Glory to the newborn King”, to “Santa Clause is coming to town” to “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” Some of these songs, such as “The First Noel”, remind us of the miraculous event that happened two-thousand twenty-three years ago, the birth of the Savior, which we are still celebrating today.  

As I write this, the global birthday party is in full swing. People are only too happy to be invited to participate in all the festivities, fun and food. But many participate in the party without ever coming into contact with the guest of honor. And when the celebration draws to a close, they leave the party without their goodie bag. They don’t receive the gift that was offered to them, the gift made possible by the coming of the Christ Child. How sad to attend the party, never meet the guest of honor and then leave empty handed. 

In our culture, the lead certainly has become buried in the celebration of Christmas. Oh, there are still some clues for those who have eyes to see. Stars or angels atop Christmas trees are symbols of the night of Jesus’s birth. It was an angel who appeared to the shepherds in the field, giving them the good news that Jesus had been born. And it was a special star that guided the three Wise Men on their long journey to find Jesus and worship Him. 

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ “ (Luke 2:8-12)

This is the lead that has been buried beneath all the festivities of the birthday party of the King. ”Unto us a child is given, unto us a Son is born,” “a Savior has been born to you!” to us, to you and to me! Our promised Redeemer has come, hope has entered into our hopeless world. 

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Immanuel, God with us, this is the lead that today is buried beneath our cultural customs attached to this birthday party. There are so many fun activities for us to do, that we really don’t have any extra time to seek out the guest of honor and get to know Him. It wasn’t any different on that first Christmas – the lead was buried then also. The people were looking for a powerful, political king with a crown to deliver them from Roman oppression. So they overlooked the helpless baby in the manger, except for the shepherds, who listened to the angel and followed his instructions to go and worship the newborn King. The rest of the world went on with business as usual, not realizing the miracle that had taken place in their very midst.

This Advent season I don’t want the lead to be buried. I am celebrating a miracle. God has come and He’s coming again. The angel brought “good news of great joy for All people.” That’s a reason to celebrate. God came here to redeem His people. That includes you and me, dear readers. ”Let every heart prepare Him room.” I want to be ready when He comes. Advent is all about preparing to receive the coming King.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely,  Grace Day   

  

    

 

 

advent advances

Posted on by Grace Day

As Advent advances, my anxiety rises as I wonder if I will be ready when the time comes. Will I be ready to receive this baby in a manger, this King of kings and Lord of lords? There is still so much to be done. How did my life become so cluttered with other things in the year since I last celebrated Advent – the arrival of the promised Messiah of all mankind? Seems like this important event would take precedence over everything else going on in the world today. Or does Christ’s birth simply get buried beneath the commercialism and the chaos we bring to this Advent season?

I ponder this question as I arrange the figures of the nativity. This particular nativity is unique as it is from Zambia and connects me to the people I met when I was there a few years ago. As I position lambs and shepherds and such, inspiration strikes and I add a few Santa figurines and a Christmas pixie from my childhood to the mix of wise men and shepherds coming to worship the newborn King. It seems only fitting. After all, we know –

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

The song playing in my head today as I prepare to celebrate Jesus’s birth keeps me company as I go about my tasks. ”O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, born the King of angels. O come, let us adore Him . . . “ 

So many Christmas carols refer to Jesus as the King that He is. (“Let earth receive her King!”/”Glory to the newborn King!”) I got curious and looked up the words to the other, lesser known verses of this song. I was surprised at what I’ve forgotten and at how beautiful the words are to this carol as they tell the story of Advent. We don’t seem to sing these older songs anymore which truly reflect what it is we are celebrating, when we celebrate Christmas. The carol continues- 

“God of God, Light of Light, Lo He abhors not the virgin’s womb. Very God, begotten, not created, O come let us adore Him, . . . sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest. O come, let us adore Him . . . Christ the Lord!” 

The inclusion of the word “ye” in this Christmas carol might be a clue as to how old this song is. I found a release date of 1841 which would explain the old English language of the hymn. But the truth of the words is timeless, a truth that does not change with the passing of the centuries. Today, this old Christmas carol pointed me back to that first Christmas, that first appearance of Immanuel – God with us.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel- which means, ‘God with us.’ “ (Matthew 1:23) 

Advent is the anticipation of and the celebration of the coming of the King. Let every heart prepare Him room – He is coming! Let my heart prepare Him room!

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

I pray that the gates that guard my heart will indeed be lifted up to let my Savior, the King of glory enter in fully and completely. 

sincerely,  Grace Day     

songs of the season

Posted on by Grace Day

They are inescapable in this advent season, these Christmas songs. No matter what radio station I turn on while driving in my car, Christmas tunes are playing nonstop. Stores and even my church have Christmas music playing in the background continuously during these days. It’s no wonder my thoughts are filled with the words to these songs, causing me to hum and sing various versions of these songs randomly throughout my day.

Today’s tune has been “Hark the Herald Angels Sing!” You know the one, right? “Hark the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn king! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.’ Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies. With the angelic host proclaim: ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’ ”

I’ve sung this old Christmas carol for many years, which may be why I find myself today singing this song without really being aware of the words that I am singing and of their deep meaning in telling the true story of Christmas. From the very first line truth is proclaimed. The angels are singing “Glory to the newborn king” – which is the baby Jesus. This song proclaims Jesus identity as King, even though the world would not recognize nor receive Him as such at that time.

The song continues “God and sinners reconciled.” That’s the reason why we celebrate Jesus’s birth. Jesus came to live among us in order to reconcile us to God. He did this by taking on our human form, walking miles in our shoes and then dying in our place, for our sins so that we could be reconciled to our Creator, God. God is holy, we are sinners. We needed someone to bridge that unbridgeable gap between us. We couldn’t do it. But God could and He did. He came here in the person of Jesus Christ to make reconciliation possible! That’s why we celebrate His birth.

Something else occurs to me as I hum these tunes and sing these songs of the season. I only seem to know the first verse of these carols. But the words of the third verse are just as inspiring and truth filled as the first verse. This carol continues – “Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace!”

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, . . . And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

The song continues, “Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings.” The words of this song confirm what we read in God’s word about Jesus being the light of the world.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” (John 8:12)

The next words of this old Christmas carol are truly extraordinary – “risen with healing in His wings”. This is a song celebrating Jesus’s birth and yet here are words referring to His death and resurrection – the reason He came, to die and to rise again leaving an empty tomb behind and the promise of eternal life before each one of us who believe in His name. This Christmas carol celebrates the whole story, from Jesus’s birth to His sacrificial death to His miraculous resurrection. The third verse continues with these words –

“Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth, Hark the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King!’ ”

This Christmas carol, in these words, gives us the reason for Jesus’s birth – “born that man no more may die” – no wonder we celebrate Christmas! No wonder we sing! That’s really good news – no more death! In just a few years, Jesus would explain this to Martha saying –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

When I sing the words “Mild He lays His glory by “, I am reminded of the cost to Jesus, an extraordinary, unfathomable cost, a price Jesus willingly paid in order to come here, to take on our human form in order to rescue and to redeem each one of us. Philippians explains it this way –

“Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

When I sing “Mild He lays His glory by”, I am reminded that when He laid down His glory, He took up something much heavier and much harder in its place.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, . . . He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Sound familiar? “Risen with healing in His wings.” Jesus came to heal us, to heal our broken relationship with God, our Creator. Sing it with me – “God and sinners reconciled!” This Christmas carol ends with the words – “Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King!’ ” The carol recalls the night of Jesus’s birth, when the angels did indeed sing, proclaiming the good news of Jesus’s birth to the shepherds in the fields and to the waiting world. The angels knew this newborn baby Jesus was indeed the King who had just left His home in glory to come and make His home among us for a little while. The time has come for us to make room for Him, to receive Him, to let Him in.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely, Grace Day