Thought for the Day – Praying the Carols.
Monday
2 Corinthians5.19 “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting men’s sins against them.”
The Christmas story is told in Luke and Matthew. But it reverberates throughout the life of the first Christian communities. Charles Wesley had no difficulty linking angels and shepherds to the deep and eternal truth of God’s love for sinners. “Hark! The herald-angels sing ‘Glory to the new-born king’, Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled."
Tuesday
Galatians 4.4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons and daughters.”
Jesus, born of a woman, in God’s good time. Christmas is about the Holy Family, and God’s invitation to all of us to be adopted into the family of God. “Christ, by highest heaven adored! Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold Him come, offspring of a Virgin's womb: Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.”
Wednesday
Romans 5. 6-8 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Bethlehem was the beginning, Calvary was the end. Well actually, a garden with an empty tomb was the end. “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven…O Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.”
Thursday
Titus 2.12 and 3.4-5 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people…and when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done but because of his mercy.”
This spells out what we love to sing at Christmas: “Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine; love was born at Christmas, star and angels gave the sign.”
Friday
2 Corinthians 4. 6 “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
No wonder we sing “Shine Jesus shine, fill the land with the Father’s glory.” All the light and lights of Christmas, from Christmas tree to Advent candles to street decorations, they are all reminders and reflections of the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ! “God of God, Light of Light…O Come, let us adore him.”
Saturday
Colossians 1.15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation…He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy…For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”
The infant of Bethlehem is the Author of Creation. All that is in the heart of God is revealed in the gift of the Christ Child. “Still the night, holy the night! Son of God, O how bright. Love is smiling from thy face, strikes for us now the hour of grace, Saviour since Thou art born – Saviour, since Thou art born.”
Sunday
Philippians 2.5-9 “Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in human appearance, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
This too is a Christmas text. In the shadow of all our Christmas lights is the shape of a cross. But that shadow is cast by the Light of Life, radiating from the face of God in Christ. “Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.”
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