In 1744, Charles Wesley looked around at the poverty and class struggle in Great Britain. His thoughts inspired the song, “Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.” This song looks back to Advent and Christmas. And again it is filled with the gifts Christ died to give us. The first stanza recalls those gifts: Come, thou long expected JesusBorn to…
Category: A Faith in Process
Notes from the Journey
“Come, Emmanuel”
Christmas Day is over. Did you find what you wanted under the tree? Many people didn’t. This has been a sad year for Christmas. But what about the gifts left by the Christ? In the ancient song, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” we find some of them. O come, O come, EmmanuelAnd ransom captive IsraelThat mourns…
The Day After
When the song of the angels is stilled,When the star in the sky is gone,When the kings and princes are home,When the shepherds are back with their flock,The work of Christmas begins:…To find the lost,To heal the broken,To feed the hungry,To release the prisoner,To rebuild the nations,To bring peace among brothers,To make music in the…
Christmas Peace
“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.” Luke 2:14 The Passion Translation “May the Lord bless you and take good care of you.May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 New International Reader’s Version
“Peace on Earth …”
When William Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) wrote this poem, the country was fighting the Civil War, his beloved wife Fanny had died in an accidental fire and his son Charles was recovering from crippling war wound. The first Christmas after Fanny’s death, Longfellow wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays.” A year later, he wrote, “I can make no…
Being the Peace
“Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me…” First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. Thomas a Kempis Peace with others is harder. What if they don’t want peace? The Bible is realistic: If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as…
Finding Peace
When we have Peace with God, He gives us inner peace. He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:3-4 Living Bible Christ alone can bring lasting peace…
The Gift of Peace
The fourth candle is the Candle of Peace. We think of peace as the absence of conflict or a tranquil state, both feel rather passive. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom, meaning “to be whole, to live well.” It encompasses health, interpersonal harmony, prosperity, and victory over enemies, completeness and safety. Shalom, used as…
Prayer of Joy
Joy is Now
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Alice Morse Earle Today, along with Joy, are gifts. And there is no time like the present to rejoice. “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” Abraham Maslow…