Christian Reflection and Prayer

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me Lord Jesus,
I ask thee to stay.
Close by me forever,
And love my I pray.

Bless all the dear children,
In thy tender care.
And take them to heaven,
To be with thee there.



The Story of "Away in a Manger"

In 1224, St. Francis of Assisi
was dealing with a dilemma. The
message of Christ's birth had
become so intellectual that it was
aloof and dogmatic. "It must be
simplified so that it might appeal
to the heart of the common people,
" he decided. Then a he had an idea.
"Why not dramatize the Christmas
story? The common folk will then be
able to better understand the meaning
of Christmas."

So he had a nativity scene and all
the trappings of a stable placed in his
church. On Christmas Eve, the people
came to the church, and saw Joseph,
Mary, and the precious baby Jesus.
The people were so excited! Christmas
had never seemed so real to them.

Since that time, the manger has become
one of the main symbols of Christmas.
One of the best known songs concerning
it is "Away in a Manger." This song was
generally referred to as "Luther's Cradle
Hymn." In 1887, the song was printed in
North America, with the heading,
"Composed by Martin Luther for his
children, and still sung by German
mothers to their little ones." The author
of the lyrics has never been verified, and
the source of the tune is still unknown.
Some say it may have been written by a
member of a German Lutheran colony
from Pennsylvania.

Have You Embarrassed Your
Heavenly Father?

"Such people claim they know
God, but they deny him by the
way they live."
Titus 1:16 NLT

Embarrassing God

"Not so long ago I saw a man
shopping in a grocery store while
his young son ran up and down the
aisles. The boy was unleashed and
hyper, making a complete nuisance
of himself. The father kept calling his
son's name, but the boy only ran
faster—up one aisle and down the other.

Just as the father caught up with him,
the boy reached out and grabbed a
handful of candy bars. The father tried
to take them away, but the boy held
on tightly. Then he started to scream.
It was a high-pitched, piercing scream
that reverberated throughout the store.
Clerks and customers turned to look
from every direction as the frustrated
father tried his best to squelch his
son's cries. The boy only screamed
louder and started to kick. Finally the
father let him go, and once again he
ran down the aisle with all his might,
chocolate still clutched in his greedy
little grip.

I caught a glimpse of the father's face.
It was the look of complete and total
embarrassment. Although I'm sure he
loved his son dearly, at this moment
he was ashamed to be his father.

Do you think God ever feels that way
with his children? Imagine how he must
feel when we become so earthly minded
that we run through life, ignoring his
voice and oblivious to his warning,
grabbing things as we go and holding
them tightly.

Do you think God doesn't get embarrassed
by the way his children act? Our life is a
reflection of his authority. And when we
disobey, he is the One the world scoffs at.

from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye,
Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 148