The Blessed Dawn of Christmas Day

 Another one of my favorites from Harry Connick Jr.:



The blessed dawn of Christmas day
As honestly as children pray
The warmth that melts the eve away
The holiness of alpenglow

I rose to join the glorious morn
Whose calm and splendor would adorn
The virgin mother's infant born
The blessed dawn of Christmas day

The hearts of sinners reconciled
Amid the ancient morrow mild
Exalt the birth of Mary's child
The blessed dawn of Christmas day

I pray one day my heart will see
The light of God's eternity
And know that Jesus died for me
Now close, my eyes
So I may rise
At blessed dawn of Christmas day

Songwriters
CONNICK, HARRY JR

Published by
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Read more: Harry Connick, Jr. - The Blessed Dawn Of Christmas Day Lyrics | MetroLyrics

I Pray on Christmas

I pray on Christmas
That the Lord will see me through
I pray on Christmas
He'll show me what to do

I pray on Christmas
He'll help me understand
And I pray on Christmas
He'll take me by the hand

I pray on Christmas
That the sick will soon be strong
I pray on Christmas
The lord will hear my song

I pray on Christmas
That God will lead the way
And I pray on Christmas
He'll get me through another day

I pray on Christmas
I pray on Christmas
I pray on Christmas
He'll get me through another day

I pray on Christmas
All our problems gonna be worked out
I pray on Christmas
God'll show us what love's about

I pray on Christmas
To do your will each day
And I pray on Christmas
That I'll be with you in heaven some day

I pray on Christmas 

Oh, the sick will soon be strong
I pray on Christmas
The lord will hear my song

I pray on Christmas

That God will lead the way
And I pray I really pray on Christmas
He'll get me through another day
He'll get me through another day...

Songwriters
CONNICK, HARRY JR

Published by
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Read more: Harry Connick, Jr. - I Pray On Christmas Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Peace on Earth, Good-Will to Men

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)

With the confluence of the Advent season and mass shootings occurring at (what should be) alarming rates, I am reminded of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Christmas Bells." It was penned during a time of great personal pain for Longfellow. As the Civil War raged, Longfellow lamented the loss of his wife to a terrible accident and the near-fatal injuries his son had sustained in battle. He described the dissonance within his own heart at hearing Christmas bells wring out, "Peace on earth, good-will to men!" while his own experiences demonstrated anything but.

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

But even as Longfellow's circumstances truly were terrible, they would not get the final word. Instead, he turned his attention to what he knew to be true about the loving God who superintends those circumstances:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

This Christmas season, may the bells (and all the other trappings) of Christmas remind us that just as Jesus came once, he is coming again. And when he does, he will set all things to rights, for it is his heart that there should be "peace on earth, good-will toward men." In a world filled with so much Wrong, I can think of no greater encouragement than the knowledge that the Right will indeed prevail!

But let's take it a step further, shall we? For if this idea of "peace on earth, good-will to men" is important to Jesus, then it should also be important to those of us who are his followers. Therefore, let us take tangible steps to promote peace, to demonstrate good-will:

• Love your neighbor, even when they're not very lovely
• Forgive those who have wronged you, even though they don't deserve it
• Seek reconciliation with those with whom you are at odds
• Focus less on how we've been wronged (be it as individuals or as a group) and spend more time prayerfully considering where we might have been wronged by others
• Humbly seek forgiveness from others regardless of whether they're willing to admit the wrong that they've done
• Pray (really pray) for those who are your enemies 
• Show respect to everyone, as those who bear the image of God, even if you disagree vehemently with them on the most fundamental and important of issues

In doing these types of things, we will truly be followers of Christ, those who are about "peace on earth, good-will to men."

Straight No Chaser...The Twelve Days of Christmas

Here's another of the songs I try to share each Christmas. It's a different take on a familiar tune...and it's a whole lot of fun!

Missing the Point of Christmas

This is a reprint of a post from December 12, 2012

The other day I was at the store looking at cards when I saw a pretty, red and gold card with the following acrostic emblazoned upon its front:

Christ
Holy One
Redeemer
Immanuel
Savior
Teacher

I was thankful that amidst all the commercialization and materialism of Christmas, someone had remembered the Reason for the Season (do I need a little TM after that?). I couldn't help but shake my head in dismay though when I opened the card to find this inside:

Did you catch the word that set me off?

DESERVE.

Too often we (even we, in the Church) think of God as being like Santa Claus, keeping two lists: "Naughty" and "Nice." The whole point of Christmas though is that not one of us is good enough to attain "Nice" list standing. What we (each and every one of us) DESERVE is nothing less than the convicting judgment of a righteous God, who perfectly understands how very short we fall from the standard of holiness that is required of us.

But that's the great thing about Christmas. In it we see the grand manifestation of the grace of God in the fact that he did not give us what we DESERVE. Rather he took on human flesh that he might live the perfect life we fail to live, and die the atoning death we DESERVE to die. You see, for those who trust in Christ, God doesn't keep a record of your naughtiness to hold against you. Rather, he has worked graciously, savingly, forgivingly, "canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2:14)

It's understandable that non-Christians would miss the point of Christmas. But if you call yourself by the name of the One who was laid in a manger over 2000 years ago, please don't make that same mistake.

What Christmas is All About

My daughter is in the fifth grade. It seems like it was a LONG time ago when I was that age--probably because it was! Two things in particular stick out in my memory from that year: 1) I remember the St. Louis Cardinals winning the 1982 World Series, and 2) I remember taking part in a play at school. It was a production of It's a Charlie Brown Christmas and I played the role of Linus.

Linus was of course the most challenging part in the production because I had a monologue that was much longer than any of the lines other characters had. In that monologue, Linus explains what Christmas is really all about. It was my favorite part of the whole production then, and it still is now each time I watch the cartoon production of  It's a Charlie Brown Christmas on TV.

It was a lot to memorize when I was eleven, but with blanket in hand, I was up to the task. The great thing though is the fact that it wasn't only a line in a play, it was gospel truth, a direct quote from the second chapter of the Luke. Merry Christmas to you all and may each of you know the joy that comes with knowing the true meaning of Christmas.

A Christmas Letter

Genealogy is one of my favorite hobbies. I find it especially gratifying to get acquainted with ancestors that I otherwise could never have known. For instance, I never met my great-grandfather, Frank J. Scribner (he died four years before I was born), but I am quite certain that I would have greatly enjoyed him. Not only did he share my ministerial calling, but by all accounts he was a kind, intelligent and loving man.

One of the primary means through which I have gotten to know him is through reading his journals, sermons and various personal correspondences. Among these are this Christmas letter which he penned 57 years ago, and which I enjoy reading annually this time of year. I hope you will enjoy reading it and be blessed by it as well.

An earlier version was originally posted on 12/20/12.

Carols of Christmas...Hallelujah!

The King's College Choir sings the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Merry Christmas!
  Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

What Christmas is All About

An annual reminder...

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus whose birth we celebrate? He is the King! But he is no ordinary king.

I've shared this video of So Long Moses before. It's from Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God, and I think it does an amazing job of capturing how we are often looking for the wrong things in Christ. May it serve as a corrective to my heart and yours this Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our King!

Christians Sometimes Miss the Point of Christmas, Too

The other day I was at the store looking at cards when I saw a pretty, red and gold card with the following acrostic emblazoned upon its front:

Christ
Holy One
Redeemer
Immanuel
Savior
Teacher

I was thankful that amidst all the commercialization and materialism of Christmas, someone had remembered the Reason for the Season (do I need a little TM after that?). I couldn't help but shake my head in dismay though when I opened the card to find this inside:

Did you catch the word that set me off?

DESERVE.

Too often we (even we, in the Church) think of God as being like Santa Claus, keeping two lists: "Naughty" and "Nice." The whole point of Christmas though is that not one of us is good enough to attain "Nice" list standing. What we (each and every one of us) DESERVE is nothing less than the convicting judgment of a righteous God, who perfectly understands how very short we fall from the standard of holiness that is required of us.

But that's the great thing about Christmas. In it we see the grand manifestation of the grace of God in the fact that he did not give us what we DESERVE. Rather he took on human flesh that he might live the perfect life we fail to live, and die the atoning death we DESERVE to die. You see, for those who trust in Christ, God doesn't keep a record of your naughtiness to hold against you. Rather, he has worked graciously, savingly, forgivingly, "canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2:14)

It's understandable that non-Christians would miss the point of Christmas. But if you call yourself by the name of the One who was laid in a manger over 2000 years ago, please don't make that same mistake.

Carols of Christmas...O Holy Night!

David Phelps singing O Holy Night!

Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

Carols of Christmas...Joy to the World

Here is Take 6 with Joy to the World as well as a bonus of an additional Christmas medley.



Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

Carols of Christmas...Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Most of the songs I've included in the Songs of Christmas series have (very intentionally) leaned away from the secular and more in the direction of Christmas hymns. This one is an exception, but I wanted to include it because it is from the movie Meet Me in St. Louis, because Judy Garland was so incredibly talented, and because I do indeed hope you have a merry little Christmas.


Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

Friday Fun...Tim Hawkins and Christmas Songs

I've shared this one before, but it's a pretty good one for the Christmas season, especially after today's post in the Carols of Christmas series...

Christmas Carols...Do You Hear What I Hear?

Orla Fallon and Meav of Celtic Women fame sing Do You Hear What I Hear?



Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

Carols of Christmas...God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

The Annie Moses Band performs God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.



Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

A Christmas Letter

I never met my great-grandfather, Frank J. Scribner (he died four years before I was born). I'm quite certain I would have enjoyed him. Not only did he share my ministerial calling, but by all accounts he was kind, intelligent and loving: the kind of man I aspire to be.

Though I never did meet him, I do feel as if I've gotten to know him a little through reading his journals, sermons and various personal correspondences. Among these are this Christmas letter which he penned 55 years ago, and which I enjoy reading annually this time of year.

Carols of Christmas...O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, O  Come, Emmanuel, as sung by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. 

 

Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.

Carols of Christmas...O Come, All Ye Faithful

Celtic Women sing O Come, All Ye Faithful.

Click here to see other posts in the Carols of Christmas series.