Hymn for Advent: “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” – YouTube

“Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” – Henry Van Dyke (1907)

som-sabadell-flash-mob-1 flipJoyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before You, 
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; 
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, 
Fill us with the light of day!

All Your works with joy surround You, Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You, Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain Praising You eternally!


Flashmob “Ode to Joy” – Sabadell, Spain – placa Sant Roc (6:00 pm/19 may 2012)

Always giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living, Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother, Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the mighty chorus, Which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us, Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life

Morning Reading: Psalm 145 NLT

Psalm 145 NLT – A psalm of praise of David.

Child worshipping - leftI will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

Psalm 145
Psalm 145

The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations.

The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

Rwanda_Mission_Trip_180.207145538_stdThe Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.

I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.

For those praying for the Persecuted Church, this post unravels some of the complexites involved in Sudan and South Sudan. Please pray for God’s Presence and Power to overcome the forces of evil and darkness at work in this land.

Katherine Harms's avatarLiving On Tilt

south-sudan-map-2011The headline reads, “Christians Threatened by Islamist Attacks and Famine.” The dateline is Sudan. What is going on here?

Anyone who begins research on the issues that plague Sudan and South Sudan immediately discovers a plague of confusion. News articles are not necessarily clear about geographic references unless the names of towns are included. Spoken references to “southern Sudan” and to “South Sudan” sustain the confusion until the researcher gets the map clearly in mind. However, Christians in the USA need to focus on the issues that shape the map, and when they do, they will learn some truths important for everyone.

The country of Sudan has a long history in Africa. It was administered by Great Britain during the colonial era and achieved independence in 1956. The population then, as now, was largely Arab in the north and tribal in the south. In the north, Islam was and is…

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Advent Hymn: “Let all mortal flesh keep silence” – YouTube – Fernando Ortega

be silent“Let all mortal flesh keep silence” 
Evidence suggests that the Greek text of “Let All Mortal Flesh” may date back to the fifth century. The present text is from the Liturgy of St. James, a Syrian rite thought to have been written by St. James the Less, first Bishop of Jerusalem. It is based on a prayer chanted by the priest when the bread and wine are brought to the table of the Lord.

1. Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand Christ our Lord to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

2. King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the body and the blood, he will give to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food.

3. Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way; as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.

4. At his feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim, with sleepless eye, veil their faces to His Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry: “Alleluia, alleluia, Alleluia, Lord most high!”

Morning Readings: Zechariah 2.10-13 NLT & Luke 1.26-33 NLT

Zechariah 2.10-13 NLT

Jerusalem-flareThe Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you. The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”

Luke 1.26-33 NLT

La Anunciación - oil -Francisco Goya (17885)
La Anunciación – oil -Francisco Goya (17885)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”