Advent, The Third Sunday
Posted by TulipGirl | Under Advent / Christmas Sunday Dec 14, 2008R9 opened our family worship with prayer and included “And keep us from worldly commercialization. . .” I didn’t even know he knew that word, much less the concept.
We lit the “donkey” candle, and tried to sing As Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night. Being as amusical as we are, we couldn’t quite carry the tune — even with the help of the cyberhymnal.
Luke 2:8-20 (NIV)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
*
We talked about the shepherds. R9 (who also lit the candles this week) piped up about the shepherds being not well regarded. We talked about how Jesus came for both the lowly and the wise, announced His coming to the shepherds and the magi. Hubby spoke about Jesus, the Good Shepherd — and how we are his dumb, wandering, shepherd-needing sheep.
And while it may may go better with the fourth Sunday in Advent, and while our voices are not glorious, we closed by singing,
Angels we have heard on high,
singing sweetly through the night,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tidings did you hear?
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
What a gorgeous photo. We enjoy our advent traditions as well.
i can’t tell if you’re for the ezzos or against them!
I’m not “against” the Ezzos. . . I do have a -lot- of concerns about their teachings.
My concerns, in a nutshell, are that they label man’s ideas as “Biblical,” many of their ideas are contrary to what is known about child health and development.
You mentioned reading the materials for preschoolers. I’d encourage you to look at it carefully.
My internal dialogue when I’m reading any parenting ideas is, “Does this help me communicate the Gospel to my children?”
Many parenting ideas are labeled “Christian” but focus so much on obedience, that it leads parents to communicate to their children that they CAN live without sin in their own power. We cannot teach, discipline, chastize our children into a right relationship with God. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But we can come alongside them when they fail, and say “Yes, you did wrong. That is sin. And because we are not perfect we need Jesus. Mommy sins, too. Mommy needs Jesus every day.”
Grace and hope,
TulipGirl
I love this post. It’s so beautiful, as is all of Advent. But, do you know how I memorized that portion of Scripture ? From Linus at the end of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. I was 5 years old, and knew it word for word. I still have to hear the Christmas story read in King James. :wink: