Pastor GeRue and I just prayed Evening Prayer, welcoming in the Feast of the Nativity. What striking Psalms and readings for the Eve of the Nativity - we prayed about God and the Ark of His covenant (powerful type of Mary - see Rev. 11) and Psalm 114 where the presence of the Lord is confessed by His creation. The lection was from Revelation 12 - a beautiful text for this evening.
Now we await the Children's Christmas Service at 7 p.m., and then a gathering at the parsonage between services, and finally the beautiful and solemn Christmas Candlelight Divine Service at 11 p.m.
Wish all of you, those whose faces and voices we know and love and those whom we know only through the internet, a great and joyful Feast of the Nativity!
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Christ from heaven! Receive Him!
Wolcum Yule!
Have you seen the Brorson hymn, "In This Our Happy Christmastide"? (It's in ELH.)
ReplyDelete"Now in our camp the Ark we see, therefore we shout the victory with joyful hearts unfearing. We sing of peace, the peace profound, that hell shall tremble at the sound, our Christmas anthem hearing."
Merry Christmas to you too -- with many thanks for the gift to me that you and other confessional bloggers have been this past year.
ReplyDeleteMy sons and I are off soon to the service in the night at our parish. It will be our third time there, but our first as members. Confessional blogs like this played a large part in allowing me to see that Lutherans like me belong in LCMS, which may have its problems but it also has faithful pastors like yourself.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteWow! I have to look that up!!!
Past Elder,
Thanks for your kind words. It's a joy to find like minded folk out there indeed. Just got back from our late service. Pastor GeRue served as thurifer and our former principal (now studying at the seminary), Richard Rikli, served as crucifer. Now I'm tired and need to head to bed - but I have a house full of teenagers (and I'm not just talking my own)!!!