Sunday's Hymn: All My Heart This Night Rejoices

All my heart this night rejoices
As I hear
Far and near
Sweetest angel voices.
“Christ is born,” their choirs are singing
Till the air
Everywhere
Now with joy is ringing.

Forth today the Conqueror goeth,
Who the foe,
Sin and woe,
Death and hell, o’erthroweth.
God is man, man to deliver;
His dear Son
Now is one
With our blood forever.

Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,
Who, to save,
Freely gave
His most cherished treasure?
To redeem us, he hath given
His own Son
From the throne
Of his might in heaven.

He becomes the Lamb that taketh
Sin away
And for aye
Full atonement maketh.
For our life his own he tenders;
And our race,
By his grace,
Meet for glory renders.

Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet,
Doth entreat:
“Flee from woe and danger,
Brethren, from all ills that grieve you
You are freed;
All you need
I will surely give you.”

Come, then, banish all your sadness,
One and all,
Great and small;
Come with songs of gladness.
Love him who with love is glowing;
Hail the star,
Near and far
Light and joy bestowing.

Dearest Lord, thee will I cherish.
Though my breath
Fail in death,
Yet I shall not perish,
But with thee abide for ever
There on high,
In that joy
Which can vanish never.

—Paul Ger­hardt

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• O Come, O Come Emmanuel at Gospel Grace
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling at Graces Daily
• Light of the Stable at By Grace Alone
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel at The Happy Wonderer
• Joy, An Irish Christmas at Theology for Girls
• Wexford Carol at The Upward Call
• Why Christ Came: To Bear Witness to the Truth at Tried With Fire
• Lord’s Day 49, 2013 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: The separated life

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.

Status Report: December

Sitting … on the couch.

Drinking … a cup of coffee I shouldn’t be drinking because it’s 7:30 pm. Let me explain, in my defense, that the Yukon’s very short daylight hours midwinter really messes with my sleep regulator (aka circadian rhythm). The extra caffeine is probably make things better in the short term (like the next few hours) and worse in the long term (like the rest of the winter), but I decided to risk ruining my whole life to have a non-drowsy hour or two.

Feeling … a bit frazzled after a day full of toddlers and other visitors. 

Also feeling … disappointed that it was too cold today for any outdoor play. I’m a big believer in daily outdoor play for children, even if it means 30 minutes of bundling up for 20 minutes of play. Kids (and adults) do better when they spend some time outdoors each day.

Sewing … doll quilts for the granddaughters for Christmas. Recently, they have both been busy taking care of their dolls, and I think they’d enjoy blankies for their babies. (Is there anything sweeter than a toddler putting a “baby” to sleep?)

Discovering … that grated raw beets (crunch and sweet) are excellent in a green salad, especially with balsamic vinegar dressing. 

Remembering … that when I first started blogging I pledged that I wouldn’t get involved in bandwagon issues or current conflicts. It’s a pledge I don’t regret—and a pledge I’ve mostly kept, I think.

This doesn’t mean I think no one should get involved in such things, just that I won’t. This doesn’t necessarily mean I think the issues are unimportant, either. Some are, some aren’t. But very few (maybe none) need my voice added to the hullabaloo, and usually, I don’t know enough to comment, anyway—and there are  things I’d rather do than study up on them.

Hoping … for warmer weather, and for time to do more reading.

Anticipating … the season of daily delivered parcels. 

Theological Term of the Week

corporate prayer
A prayer spoken aloud by one person on behalf of a whole group of gathered believers. 

• A corporate prayer from scripture:

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, alongwith the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand andyour plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23-31, ESV)

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