Christian Reflection and Prayer

The "O" Antiphons. Since
the seventh century, this
set of seven prayer texts
has been sung or recited
over the final days of Advent
during the daily service of
vespers, or evening prayer.
They are voiced in response
to the Magnificat (Lk 1: 46 - 55).
Each antiphonal prayer addresses
God with "O" and a biblical name
and concludes with a call for him
to come. The phrases of the prayers
derive from Scripture. You may be
familiar with them from the verses
of the well-known Advent hymn,
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."
They may be used devotionally,
one a day, from December 17 to 23.
Here are the traditional texts of the
"Great O's."

O Wisdom, O holy word of God,
you govern all creation with your
strong yet tender care: Come and
show your people the way to salvation.

O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the
burning bush, who gave him the holy
law on Sinai mountain: Come, stretch
out your mighty hand to set us free.

O Flower of Jesse's stem, you have
been raised up as a sign for all peoples;
rulers stand silent in your presence; the
nations bow down in worship before you.
Come, let nothing keep you from coming
to our aid.

O Key of David, O royal power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of
death for those who dwell in darkness and
the shadow of death, and lead your captive
people into freedom.

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice: Come, shine on those who
dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

O Ruler of all the nations, the only joy of
every human heart, O keystone of the
mighty arch of humankind: Come and save
the creature you fashioned from the dust.

O Emmanuel, ruler and lawgiver, desire
of the nations, savior of all people: Come
and set us free, Lord our God.

On December 21, the church remembers
St. Thomas, the apostle famously known
as Doubting Thomas for his refusal to
believe in Jesus' resurrection until he had
fingered the nail marks and felt the spear
wound. After Jesus graciously
accommodated his doubt, Thomas
declared, "My Lord and my God!"(Jn 20:28).
According to tradition, he is credited with
taking the light of the gospel to India. As
his feast day falls in the week of the "O"
Antiphons, these meditative prayers can
be for us affirmations of faith and longing
in the face of doubts that we, like Thomas,
may experience.

Taken from Living the Christian Year:
Time to Inhabit the Story of God by
Bobby Gross. Copyright(c) 2009 by
Bobby Gross.
Bobby Gross is director of graduate
and faculty ministries for InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship. Bobby also
serves on the national board of
Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA)
and lives in Atlanta, GA.

The Advent wreath. This simple
arrangement consists of four
candles set equidistant in a circle
of evergreens, with a larger fifth
candle placed in the middle. On
the first Sunday of Advent, one
candle is lit, on the second Sunday,
two candles, and so on. Finally,
on Christmas Eve, we light the
Christ candle in the middle.
Usually, three of the outer candles
are purple, the liturgical color of
Advent that signifies both penitence
and royalty, but the candle for the
third Sunday is rose-colored, denoting
the theme of joy. The Christ candle is
white. The circle suggests eternity, the
greens symbolize life, and the cross
of lighted candles points to Christ.

In ancient northern cultures, the
lighting of bonfires and yule logs
was meant to ward off the midwinter
darkness and its sinister denizens.
So it is easy to see how Christians
combined the greenery of life and
the candles of light into the Advent
wreath. By lighting a new candle
each week, by accumulating the
brightness, we signify our hope in
the coming light of Christ, even as
daylight diminishes and darkness
rises with the approach of winter
solstice. Lighting the Advent wreath
in our homes and churches enacts
our faith in John's testimony: "The
light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it"
(Jn 1:5).

The minor feast day of St. Lucy, or
Lucia, on December 13 provides
another opportunity to celebrate the
coming light of Christ during Advent.
Lucia, whose name derives from lux
(Latin for "light"), was martyred in
Italy in 304. Devoted to Christ, she
gave all of her dowry to the poor,
infuriating the man she was to marry
by arrangement. He denounced her
to the governor, who had her killed
by the sword after attempts to burn
her failed. Lucy is especially honored
in Scandinavia as the Queen of Light.
The custom is for a daughter in the
home to wear a crown of candles
and go from room to room  awakening
the family from their deep midwinter
sleep and bringing them Lucia buns
baked with saffron.

Bobby Gross is director of graduate and
faculty ministries for InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship. Bobby also serves on the national
board of Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA)
and lives in Atlanta, GA.

by Bobby Gross

In the early centuries, the
churches in the East celebrated
both the birth and the baptism
of Jesus on January 6. Not surprisingly,
the day became a major occasion
for performing baptisms, which led
to a preparatory period of fasting
and catechesis (instruction). During
the fourth century, the Eastern churches
followed the West's lead and adopted
December 25 for the Feast of the Nativity.
Even though this was no longer a day
for baptisms, Eastern churches retained
their tradition of penitential preparation.
This practice spread to the northern and
western regions of the church where
it fit well with the greater emphasis
there on the final coming and judgment
of Christ, which called for self-examination
and spiritual readiness. Today, Orthodox
Christians still observe a nativity fast
from meat November 15 through
December 24.

In the church centered in Rome, it
was a different story. There, Advent
entailed a festive preparation for the
birth of Christ from the start. In the
sixth century Pope Gregory the Great
established the forerunner of our
Advent by creating special masses for the
four Sundays preceding Christmas Day.
After seesawing over the ensuing centuries,
these two traditions, the "warm Latin joy"
and the "ascetic northern preparation"
eventually merged into the synthesis that
characterizes Advent today. While fasting
has largely fallen away in the West, we
still feel a subtle and fruitful tension. As
Christopher Hill puts it, "The pull between
the affectionate backward look and the
anxious forward look - both situated in the
world of human time" opens up the present
moment for Christ to come in our hearts.



Obviously, Advent and Christmas are closely
linked, and many cultural customs apply to
both seasons. For example, the Feast of St.
Nicholas, from which we get our idea of
Santa Claus, falls on December 6 in Advent.
Three Advent traditions - the Christmas tree,
the Advent wreath and the "O" Antiphons -
open for us respectively the themes of death
and life, darkness and light, doubt and longing.

Bobby Gross is director of graduate and
faculty ministries for InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship. Bobby also serves on the national
board of Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA)
and lives in Atlanta, GA.

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING !

In a world where nature and our environment
are threatened, let us make our Christmas
tree and manger scene reminders of the
beauty and sacredness of nature. How
closely at his coming did Jesus bind himself
to the animals of the field, as well as to the
earth and the open sky!

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

Prayer:

Adult:
O Jesus Christ,
Key of David,
come and set your people free.
Open the gates of heaven for us;
come, deliver us from evil.

Child:
King David was a mighty king
who built a city long ago.
He left a key
that Jesus found in the manger hay.
Key of David, Jesus Christ,
open heaven's gates for us.

The first noel the angel did say was to certain
poor shepherds in fields as they lay-in fields
where they lay keeping their sheep, on a cold
winter's night that was so deep.

They looked up and saw a star shining in
the east, beyond them far; and to the earth
it gave great light, and so it continued both
day and night.

And by the light of that same star, three wise
men came from country far; to seek for a king
was their intent, and to follow the star wherever
it went.

This star drew nigh to the northwest, o'er
Bethlehem it took its rest; and there it did both
stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then entered in those wise men three, full rev'rently
upon their knee, and offered there, in His presence,
their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our
heav'nly Lord, that hath made heav'n and earth of
naught, and with His blood mankind hath bought.

Chorus: Noel, noel! Noel, noel! Born is the
King of Israel!

The Story of "The First Noel"


Although no Christmas season would be
complete without the melodious singing of this
tuneful carol, very little is known about its origin.
It is believed to have had its rise in France during
the fifteenth century. Noel is a French word
originating from Latin meaning "birthday." The song
is thought to have been brought across the channel
to England before 1823 by the wandering troubadours.
The carol under the English form, "Nowell," became
a great favorite for Christmas Eve, especially in the
west of England. This was when the entire village
gathered for singing and celebrating the bringing in
of the Yule log. At this time carols were thought of
as popular religious songs meant to be sung outside
the church rather than within.

"The First Noel" portrays in vivid narrative style the
story of the birth of Christ. All six stanzas are
needed to complete the entire event when the hymn
is sung. The sixth stanza urges us to join together
to sing praises to God for the marvels of His creation
and for the salvation provided through Christ's shed
blood. The repetition of the joyous "noel" in the refrain
is equivalent to our singing out "happy birthday" to someone.

It is interesting to observe that the "King of Israel" was
first announced to "certain poor shepherds" only, but in
the final stanza the phrases "let us all" and "mankind
hath brought" remind us that Christ came to redeem
the whole world.

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

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING !

Remembering the poor shepherds and the
circumstances of Christ's birth, so marked
by poverty, let us make them reminders of
the forgotten poor of our world. 

Scripture:

Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

Prayer:

Adult:
O Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace,
come and save your people.
Joy of every heart,
Strength of those who are poor,
come quickly to help us.

Child:
Prince of Peace,
teach the lion and the little lamb,
teach the cat and the mouse,
the the hawk and the tiny bird,
teach everyone who doesn't get along
to live in peace.

Scripture:

For the whole law can be summed up
in this one command: "Love your neighbor
as yourself." But if you are always biting
and devouring one another, watch out!
Beware of destroying one another.
Galatians 5:14-15.   

Reflection:

Have you ever been a member of a church
that is failing?  It is a terrible thing to
experience and I hope you never experience
this kind of failing. 
I have seen and been involved with a failing
church.  The pain involved was unbelievable.
In my observation, the failing began when
the members, no longer motivated by love,
became critical of others.  They stopped
looking for good in others and could only
see their faults.  Soon the unity of all the
believers was infected and broken. The
church failed.
I have some questions for you to ask of
yourself and ponder.  Have you talked
behind someone's back?  Have you focused
on others' shortcomings instead of their
strengths? 
Remind yourself of Jesus' command to love
others as you love yourself. When you begin
to feel critical of someone, make a list of that
person's positive qualities. If there are problems
that need to be addressed, it is better to confront
in love than to gossip.

Prayer:

Oh mighty God give me the strength to keep my
tongue in check.  Let patience, kindness, and love
rule my life and love be my guide in relationship
with my brothers and sisters. Let love be my
guide in my relationships to all people and Your
command to love one another be written in my
heart, mind, and my spirit.  In Jesus Name
Amen.

Scripture:

"…we who are still alive and remain
on earth will be caught up in the clouds t
o meet the Lord in the air and remain
with him forever."
1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT

Awaiting our day

"The story is told of an old missionary
couple returning to the States after
many years of thankless service in Africa.
They happened to be on the same ship to
New York as President Theodore Roosevelt,
who was returning from a big game hunt in
Africa. As the ship pulled past the Statue of
Liberty and into the dock, huge crowds were
gathered to welcome him home. The press
was out in full force, and thousands of people
had come to get a glimpse of the president.

In the middle of the chaos, the aged
missionary couple fought their way through
the crowds with their large suitcases in tow.
Silently they hailed a cab and made their
way to a cheap hotel. The missionary sat
on the bed and said to his wife, "It just
doesn't seem right. We gave our lives to
Christ to win souls for the Kingdom in
Africa, and when we arrive home there
is no one here to meet us. The president
shoots a few animals and receives a royal
welcome."

His wife sat beside him on the bed and said
softly, "That's because we're not home yet, dear."

It may seem at times as if our work for Christ
is going unnoticed. Faith doesn't bring a lot
of praise on this earth. But that's only because
our trip is not yet over.

Our day will come, you can be sure. And when
it does, the ceremony will last for an eternity.

from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye,
Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin
(Tyndale) p 346