"evermore and evermore"

-


CHRISTIAN PRAYERS lyrics


The first time I heard this hymn was when the children's choir sang it many years ago at The Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word in Rochester, NY. In the last few years it has become especially meaningful especially as I have learned more about this type of musical chant in the last year.

All of the wonderful blessings we enjoy as in the Christmas season are "Of the Father's love begotten," because of all that God has done for us by sending our savior, Jesus Christ into the world. I've been pondering several of them the last few days, especially now that we're on vacation and there is time to take a breath.

Here are some of those wonderful things for which I'm so thankful:

1. Getting out of Gettysburg before the storm hit.
2. Arriving safely at my daughter's house.
3. Being able to have time with Grace, our granddaughter.
4. Christmas shopping with my daughter, Sarah.
5. Even better...Sarah was so excited about time to shop with me!
6. Christmas shopping with Gracie after school.
7. To see my daughter grow into the wonderful woman and mother that she is.
8. For my husband, Ray, and his supportive love and encouragement throughout our marriage and my time in seminary.
9. Renewing relationships with friends I haven't seen for several years.
10. Christmas Eve singing "Silent Night" through our tears, arms around each other, as Sarah and I remembered the little town of Bethlehem that was home to us in the 1980s and the many people and places we love and miss there.

These are but a few of the things I've been pondering lately.

My thanks is "evermore and evermore."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bidden or Not Bidden...

-
Image
My son and his fiancée were determined to have a secular wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. The phrase that kept going through my mind was, "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." God is with us whether we realize it or not. And of course we kept praying for them. They are a wonderful couple who are very good for each other. We are thrilled to have Marisa in our family. The setting was beautiful: an outdoor patio area with plants around. It was evening and there was a nice breeze. The groom's father and best man told us that when they met with the minister (yes, minister, not justice of the peace) they found out he's a Lutheran minister. Hmm, isn't that interesting? The ceremony used the traditional vows. The minister spoke seriously to Christian and Marisa, charging them that they were in this for the long haul...as long as they lived. He did not use the word God , but certainly gave them godly counsel in the ceremony. God was there...bidden or not bidden. God was th
Read more

Dancing with the Trinity

-
Image
This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Trinity Sunday, 6/16/19. The text was John 16:12-15. This is Holy Trinity Sunday. What comes to mind when you think of the Trinity—questions, confusion, a puzzle, a mystery? It seems to me that just when you think you have a bit of understanding, it all starts to unravel as you think of something else. This is a difficult concept to wrap our minds around. For centuries, the early church struggled with a right and proper interpretation and understanding as they formulated the doctrine of the Trinity. The more I read, the more I see the wisdom of Dr. Jerry Christianson who taught The Early Church and its Creeds my first year of seminary. He explained the Trinity as a love relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Just as God is all about relationship, so too the Christian life is all about relationship: our relationship with God, our relationship with each other and our relationship with our community.
Read more

Vulnerability Friday Five

-
Image
Sally at revgalsblogpals posted the following for the Friday Five: I have recently been reading a book entitled Jesus wept , it is all about vulnerability in leadership. The authors speak of how Jesus shared his earthly frustrations and vulnerabilities with a select group of people. To some he was the charismatic leader and teacher, to others words of wisdom were opened and explained and some frustrations shared, to his "inner circle of friends: Peter, James and John, he was most fully himself, and in all of these things he was open to God. So I bring you this weeks Friday 5: 1. Is vulnerability something that comes easily to you, or are you a private person? It comes to me very easily, at times too much so. I feel that I have nothing to hide. Of course, I'm in seminary with a wonderful community of faith. In the parish I suspect I will need to be more guarded in what I share and with whom. 2.How important is it to keep up a professional persona in work/ ministry? I despise p
Read more