By Marlys Burgett “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 “This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who has made His counsel wonderful and …
Simeon’s Song
By Claudine Lehman "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved …
The Song of Angels
By Katie Kafka And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:13-14 As I read these verses from Luke 2 over and over again, I can’t help but let …
Zechariah’s Song
By Sunshine Metschke There are so many beautiful, joy-filled hymns we sing at Christmastime. Some remind us of the sweetness of the silent night upon which the Savior was born and the humble conditions that surrounded Him. Some proclaim the long-awaited Savior has finally arrived! But one familiar hymn has always sounded desperate and haunting to …
Mary’s Song
By Renee Meyer As protestant believers, we don’t spend a lot of time thinking or talking about Mary outside of Christmas. But I love Mary, the mother of Jesus, and wonder how much we could learn from her, year round. We could all, like Mary, respond to God’s voice by saying, “Behold, the bondslave of …
Embracing Peace
By Marlys Burgett It’s Advent--the season to be thinking about waiting. Waiting for the return of Jesus, who will redeem our broken world. Waiting peacefully for His peace to reign forever. I'll admit it sounds so lovely, the peaceful waiting! I imagine myself in a Hallmark movie in a beautiful home, surrounded by lights and …
This Baby . . . Our Hope
"The world – under tyrannical rule, fraught with despair and devastation – exhaled a deep sigh of relief and inhaled hope with that baby’s first cry. "
Jesus Is King
By Renee Meyer Traditionally, on the fourth Sunday of Advent we consider that Jesus is King. Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King!' . . . Joy to The world! the Lord has come; Let earth receive her King . . . This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and …
Jesus is God
It comes up too often to ignore, to push aside and move on. Whether lingering over warm cups in my favorite coffee shop, sitting face-to-face at the kitchen table, or side-by-side on a fireside sofa, our conversations often come to “where is God in this?” Where, indeed, is God in the dark places that mark …