advent of Christ / Christmas / 4th Sunday of Advent

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent.  Again, here is a review from last year of the ABC's of Advent to do with your children, Sunday School class and/or friends.  Be sure to click on the links to my  earlier posts on the 1st,  2nd and 3rd Sundays of Advent.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 19, 2010

Today we relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreath — the candles of HOPE, PEACE and JOY. Now we light the fourth candle of Advent. This is the candle of LOVE. Jesus demonstrated self-giving love in his ministry as the Good Shepherd. Advent is a time for kindness, thinking of others, and sharing with others. It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us his most precious gift. As God is love, let us be love also. In the Book of Deuteronomy we find these words:

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”—Deuteronomy 10:17-19a

From the Gospel of John we hear:

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”—John 13:34-35

Let us pray:

Teach us to love, O Lord. May we always remember to put you first as we follow Christ’s footsteps, that we may know your love and show it in our lives. As we prepare for our celebration of Jesus’ birth, also fill our hearts with love for the world, that all may know your love and the one whom you have sent, your son, our Savior. Amen.  SOURCE

CAROLS FOR TODAY

Angels We Have Heard on High

What Child Is This?

ADVENT of Christ / Christmas / 3rd Sunday of Advent

Today is the third Sunday of Advent.  Again, here is a review from last year of the ABC's of Advent to do with your children, Sunday School class and/or friends.  Be sure to click on the links to my  earlier posts on the 1st and 2nd Sunday of Advent.

Third Sunday of Advent

December 12, 2010

Today we relight the first two candles of the Advent wreath. The candle of HOPE and the candle of PEACE. Now we light the third candle of Advent. This is the candle of JOY. As the coming of Jesus, our Savior, draws nearer, our joy builds with our anticipation of his birth. From the Book of Isaiah we read the words of our Lord:

“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.”—Isaiah 65:18

From the New Testament, the words of Paul to the people of the church at Galatia:

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”—Galatians 5:22-25

Let us pray:

We joyfully praise you, O Lord, for the fulfillment of your promise of a Savior and what that means in our lives. Thank you for the gift of salvation through the birth of your son, Jesus. Create us anew as we wait, and help us to see your glory as you fill our lives with your living Spirit. Amen.  SOURCE

OUR CHURCH

Sermon:  

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Carols:
O Holy Night
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Christmas Carols and Songs We Love : Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Note: I have several posts here related to Advent and Christmas. Just type ADVENT in the Search window above or click on the link to the right.

I was classically trained to play the piano so I will probably always have a preference for beautiful music, particularly in its original form.  This particular piece is often heard at Christmas and is a favorite at weddings.  Jesu is of course, Jesus.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

by Johann Sebastian Bach, 1723

Original Version on piano  at THIS LINK.

Here is the song with vocals by Celtic Women.

One of Johann Sebastian Bach's most popular compositions is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.  Originally composed for trumpet, oboe, strings and organ, it is perhaps best known in a piano arrangement by Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965).  This Bach piece is a 3-minute extract [Movement #10, Chorale: Jesus bleibet meine Freude, more accurately translated Jesus shall remain my gladness]  from a thirty-minute cantata which was originally written for the 4th Sunday of Advent.  That cantata is just one of over 200 that survived. Those 200 cantatas form only a fifth of Bach's works. And those thousand-odd works are only a fraction of what survived.  

SOURCE

English Lyrics

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,

Holy wisdom, love most bright;

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring

Soar to uncreated light.

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,

With the fire of life impassioned,

Striving still to truth unknown, 

Soaring, dying round Thy throne. 

Through the way where hope is guiding, 

Hark, what peaceful music rings; 

Where the flock, in Thee confiding, 

Drink of joy from deathless springs. 

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure; 

Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure. 

Thou dost ever lead Thine own

In the love of joys unknown.

A little bit about the composer, Johann Sebastian Bach:

Bach said, "Music's only purpose should be the glory of God and the recreation of the human spirit." Music was given to glorify God in heaven and to edify men and women on earth. It wasn't to make lots of money, or to feed the musician's ego, or to be famous. Music was about blessing the Lord and blessing others.

Bach's own life was in complete accord with his beliefs. Though he possessed a musical genius found perhaps once in a century, he chose to live an obscure life as a church musician. Only once in his 65 years did he actually take a job where his brilliance might bring him to the world's notice. For a while, he worked as Kapellmeister of the court of Prince Leopold. But such surroundings were a distraction to him. He soon left to accept a lowly position as cantor at a church in Leipzig, where he would again be cloistered in his unacclaimed but beloved world of church music.  SOURCE

Psalm 33:3 

Sing to Him a new song; 

Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 

1 Peter 5:6 

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 

that He may exalt you at the proper time...