This Month's Giveaway at Challies.com

 

What is Tim giving away this time?

This month’s sponsor is Modern Parables. Modern Parables is “an original Bible study curriculum designed for people who like movies. It is the first in a planned series of film-driven studies on the parables. The films are uniquely designed to parallel the original parable and thereby drive the viewer back toward the Biblical text. The 12-lesson study (with 6 additional lessons on cinema and theology) uses short dramatic films that explain Jesus’ parables using the particular strength of the cinematic medium. In other words, just watching the films helps teach the historical, grammatical, contextual and interpretive elements in the parables.” They are ideal for Bible studies, youth groups, homeschool curriculum, church libraries, and so on. 

There are three exciting prizes:

• First prize: Modern Parables box set which includes all the DVDs, a member book and a leader book, six movie posters (one for each parable…posters measure 11”x17”) and ten student books (a value of over $250!).
• Second prize: Modern Parables box set and six movie posters.
• Third Prize: Modern Parables box set.

Click on the banner above to enter the giveaway.

Sunday's Hymn: Incarnation

Well, I’m back from my holiday. I spent Thanksgiving in Minnesota with my dad, my sister, and my niece. I came back with one more suitcase of stuff than I went out with. It was all very nice, except that it was cold, cold, cold in Minnesota.

And now, how about a Sunday hymn? This is the first Sunday of advent so the doctine taught in hymn for today (and probably for the next few Sundays) will have to do with the incarnation. This is one of Martin Luther’s hymns, written for his young son Hans.

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

From Heaven above to earth I come,
To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing.

To you, this night, is born a Child
Of Mary, chosen mother mild;
This tender Child of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all your earth.

’Tis Christ our God, who far on high
Had heard your sad and bitter cry;
Himself will your Salvation be,
Himself from sin will make you free.

He brings those blessings long ago
Prepared by God for all below;
That in His heavenly kingdom blest
You may with us forever rest.

These are the tokens ye shall mark,
The swaddling clothes and manger dark;
There shall ye find the young Child laid,
By Whom the heavens and earth were made.

Now let us all, with gladsome cheer,
Follow the shepherds, and draw near
To see this wondrous Gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this Child, so young and fair?
The blessèd Christ Child lieth there!

Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through Whom e’en wicked men are blest!
Thou com’st to share our misery,
What can we render, Lord, to Thee!

Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How hast Thou made Thee weak and small,
To lie upon the coarse dry grass,
The food of humble ox and ass.

Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

For velvets soft and silken stuff
Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
Whereon Thou King, so rich and great,
As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

Thus hath it pleased Thee to make plain
The truth to us, poor fools and vain,
That this world’s honor, wealth and might
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Here in my poor heart’s inmost shrine,
That I may evermore be Thine.

My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep,
I too must sing, with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient cradle song.

Glory to God in highest Heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,
While angels sing, with pious mirth,
A glad New Year to all the earth.

Test your knowledge of what it meant for the Son of God to become a human being with this quiz: Jesus As a Human Being.

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• Fairest Lord Jesus at joythruChrist
• The Collect for the First Sunday in Advent at Magic Statistics
• Eternal Glory of the Sky at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 48, 2007 at The Thirsty Theologian
  
• Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus at Hiraeth
• Come Thou Precious Ransom at Seasoning of the Heart
• I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow at Whatever Things…

Have you posted a hymn this Sunday 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.

A Thankful November: A Blog Vacation

 

Yes, I’m thankful that I’m going to be taking a couple of weeks vacation from blogging to concentrate on other things. Blogging is hard work, you know, and a bit of a break is a good thing.

Kim from Hiraeth has kindly agreed to step in and collect links to thanksgiving posts on her blog so that you can all continue to be thankful in my absense.  Could you do me a favor, though, and send the links to your thanksgiving posts to Kim if you want them included in the links on her blog?  You can contact her here.

Other thankful folk 

• Don Sands is thankful for “schools, from elementary through college. God grants us teachers to teach us to read and write, and develope our intellect.”
• Kim is thankful for “the change of seasons and the beauty of God’s creation.”
• Rosemary shares a George Herbert  poem about being grateful.
• Connie is thankful that her husband is a handyman.