Thursday, December 24, 2009

Blessed Christmas to All

A blessed Christmas to all who read or may stumble across this blog. For some of you it may be merry also, but I know that for many Christmas brings heartache and pain. For you I pray that the grace and peace of our Saviour's love enlighten the darkness of this time; and for others I pray that the merriness of this day not darken the light of our Saviour's grace and peace.

My gift this day is the words of my favorite Christmas hymn, by Paul Gerhardt. (UPDATE: click here to listen to this hymn!)

O Jesus Christ, Thy manger is
My paradise at which my soul reclineth.
For there, O Lord, Doth lie the Word
Made flesh for us; herein Thy grace forth shineth.

He whom the sea And wind obey
Doth come to serve the sinner in great meekness.
Thou, God's own Son, With us art one,
Dost join us and our children in our weakness.

Thy light and grace Our guilt efface,
Thy heav'nly riches all our loss retrieving.
Immanuel, Thy birth doth quell
The pow'r of hell and Satan's bold deceiving.

Thou Christian heart, Whoe'er thou art,
Be of good cheer and let no sorrow move thee!
For God's own Child, In mercy mild,
Joins thee to Him; how greatly God must love thee!

Remember Thou What glory now
The Lord prepared thee for all earthly sadness.
The angel host Can never boast
Of greater glory, greater bliss or gladness.

The world may hold Her wealth and gold;
But Thou, my heart, keep Christ as thy true treasure.
To Him hold fast Until at last
A crown be thine and honor in full measure.

from The Lutheran Service Book #372
(c) 1941 Concordia Publishing House

No comments: