Shortest Day Complexities

Today is the day of the winter solstice, which means its the day when the maximum height of the sun in the sky is at its lowest point of the year. It also means that today is the shortest day of the year. What it doesn’t mean is that today has the earliest sunset and the latest sunrise.

Nope, our winter sun is a lot more complicated than you might think. If you live on the 40th parallel, your day of earliest sunset was around December 8 and your day of latest sunrise will be around January 5. Since I live much farther north than 40˚, the date of the earliest sunset and the date of the latest sunrise are both closer to December 21, but neither falls on that date. You can read the explanation for this sun phenomenon here.

So it’ll continue to be darker a little later in the morning for me, and for you, too, if you live in the northern hemisphere. Still, I’m really excited about the 7 seconds more daylight I’ll have tomorrow.

Glory 7

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…. (Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV)

Previous post in this series:

• Glory 1
• Glory 2
• Glory 3
• Glory 4
• Glory 5
• Glory 6

Christmas scripture series from 2007: Light
Christmas scripture series from 2008: Miraculous Births

Sunday's Hymn

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Update: An exposition of this hymn by J.V. Fesko (HT: Michael Haykin)

Hear my church choir sing this Christmas hymn.

(We sang last Sunday’s hymn, Lo, How a Rose, too.)

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

• Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 51, 2009 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Now Hail We Our Redeemer at Whatever Is Good
• All My Heart This Night Rejoices at Hiraeth
• O Come All Ye Faithful at The Upward Call
• Good Christian Men, Rejoice at Field Stone Cottage
• Away! With Loyal Hearts and True at Conjubilant with Song
• Update: Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: God Will Wound the Heads of His Enemies

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 emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.