Communion exhortation - 11/26/06

In 1st century Galilee, when a young man and woman were considering marriage, they would meet with their fathers and a cup of wine would be poured. The young man would take it, hand it to the young lady and say, “This cup is a covenant with my blood.” The lady then took the cup, and had a choice. She could refuse to drink, and the relationship was over. If she took the cup and drank, she engaged herself to the man, and they would later be married.

And so Jesus, during the 3rd cup of the Passover ritual, catches His disciples off guard to say the least, when he holds out a cup of wine to them, and says the same thing a man would when proposing marriage: “This cup is a covenant in My blood.” The question before you is, will you renew this covenant? Most of you, this is not the first time your Bridegroom has given you the cup. But little has changed since the first time. We are still waiting for the wedding; still proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.

Remember today, what He went through to spread His garment over you (Ruth 3:9), to take you to Himself. Remember with Thanksgiving.

In the Bleak Mid-Winter

Hear the music

1. In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

2. Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

3. Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

4. What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

2 more meditations on the Incarnation

A wondrous mystery
A wondrous mystery comes to light today:
natures are transformed,
God has become man.
What he was before, he still remains,
though garbed in a nature that was never his:
Godhead undebased
and undivided.



To a Child Crying
To a child crying in the cold
come three kings to worhsip Him,
for this child can bestow
kingdoms, life, glory and heaven.

He is born in lowliness,
although He is a mighty king.
For by decree He comes to us
in humility and poverty.
For this child crying in the cold
come three kings.

Brightest and Best

Hail the blest morn, see the great Mediator
Down from the regions of glory descend.
Shepherds, go worship the Babe in the manger.
Lo, for a guard the bright angels attend.

Brightest and best of the Suns of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Cold on His cradle the dew drops are shining.
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall.
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining;
Maker and monarch and savior of all!

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure.
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration.
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

The Wexford Carol

Good people all, this Christmastime,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved Son.
O let us all both sing and pray
To God with love this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem that Christmas morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.
The night before that happytide,
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass.
From ev'ry door turned back, alas.
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox's stall.
Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
"Prepare and go," the angels said,
"To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
For there you'll find, this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born."
With thankful heart and joyful mind
The shepherds went the Babe to find
And as God's angel had foretold
They did our Savior Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid,
And by His side the Virgin Maid
Attending on the Lord of Life
Who came on earth to end all strife.

A Virgin Unspotted

This is easily my favorite new-to-me Christmas song this year...
Hear and see the music

1. A Virgin unspotted, the prophet foretold,
Should bring forth a Savior, which now we behold.
To be our Redeemer from death, hell and sin,
Which Adam's transgression had wrapped us in.

Chorus
Aye and therefore be merry, set sorrow aside,
Christ Jesus, our Savior, was born on this tide.

2. At Bethlehem city in Jewry, it was
That Joseph and Mary together did pass,
Alt for to be taxed with many one more,
Great Cesar commanded the same should be so. Chorus

3. But when they had entered the city so fair,
A number of people so mighty was there,
That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small,
Could find in the inn there no lodging at all. Chorus

4. Then were they constrained in a stable to lie,
Where horses and asses they used for to tie:
Their lodging so simple they took it no scorn,
But against the next morning our Saviour was born. Chorus

5. The King of all Kings to this world being brought,
Small store of fine linen to wrap Him was sought,
But when she had swaddled her young Son so sweet,
Within an ox manger she laid Him to sleep. Chorus

6. Then God sent an angel from Heaven so high,
To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie,
And bade them no Longer in sorrow to stay,
Because that our Saviour was born on this day. Chorus

7. Then presently after the shepherds did spy
Vast numbers of Angels to stand in the sky;
They joyfully talk and sweetly did sing,
To God be all glory, our heavenly King. Chorus

8. To teach us humility all this was done,
And learn we from thence haughty pride for to shun:
A manger His cradle who came from above,
The great God of mercy, of peace, and of love. Chorus

On Grievances

by Douglas Wilson, 11/15/06

"There are two sins related to this that we must overcome before we can obey the Lord here. The first is the idea, just mentioned, that we have a right to our disagreements so long as they are amicably held. Of course, it is better to be amicable than nasty, but this is still a means to the end. The end is agreement, not agreeable disagreement. An important means to like-mindedness is amicable disagreement, but it must never be mistaken for the end.

The second sin we must fight is the sin of the grievance. A grievance is never mere disagreement. A grievance always has an edge; a grievance is personal; a grievance resents; a grievance imputes motives; a grievance is suspicious; a grievance is an insult to the love of God in Christ."

Sing Christmas Songs!

Everyone, go here and get in the Spirit by singing some songs for the season!
It's all free piano music, with lyrics, and played in audio for you, if you want.
I'm ecstatic!

Three Ships

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

And who was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And who was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day, in the morning?

Twas Joseph and his Fair Ladye,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
Twas Joseph and his Fair Ladye,
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

O, he did whistle and she did sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
O, he did whistle and she did sing,
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

Saint Michael was the steeres-man,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
Saint Michael was the steeres-man,
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

Pray whither sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
Pray whither sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

O, they sailed unto Bethlehem
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
O, they sailed unto Bethlehem
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day, in the morning.

With Sweet Jubilation

With Sweet Jubilation
now sing and be joyful!
Our heart's delight lies
in a manger,
and shines like the sun
in His mother's lap.
He is our Alpha and Omega.

O infant Jesus,
I yearn for You always!
Give comfort to me, my heart, O best of boys;
through all of your goodness,
O Prince of Glory,
draw me after you!

O love of the Father!
O mercy of the Son!
We would remain as the lost
through our sins;
but He has gained for us
the joys of Heaven;
Oh! there we would remain!

Masters in This Hall

1. Masters in this Hall,
Hear ye news to-day
Brought from over sea,
And ever I you pray:

Chorus
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's son so dear:
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell, sing we loud!
God to-day hath poor folk raised
And cast a-down the proud.

2. Going o'er the hills,
Through the milk-white snow,
Heard I ewes bleat
While the wind did blow: Chorus

3. Shepherds many an one
Sat among the sheep,
No man spake more word
Than they had been asleep: Chorus

4. Quoth I, "Fellows mine,
Why this guise sit ye?
Making but dull cheer,
Shepherds though ye be? Chorus

5. "Shepherds should of right
Leap and dance and sing,
Thus to see ye sit,
Is a right strange thing": Chorus

6. Quoth these fellows then,
"To Bethlem town we go,
To see a mighty lord
Lie in manger low": Chorus

7. "How name ye this lord,
Shepherds?' then said I,
"Very God," they said,
"Come from Heaven high": Chorus

8. Then to Bethlem town
We went two and two,
And in a sorry place
Heard the oxen low: Chorus

9. Therein did we see
A sweet and goodly may
And a fair old man,
Upon the straw she lay: Chorus

10. And a little child
On her arm had she,
"Wot ye who this is?"
Said the hinds to me: Chorus

11. Ox and ass him know,
Kneeling on their knee,
Wondrous joy had I
This little babe to see: Chorus

12. This is Christ the Lord,
Masters be ye glad!
Christmas is come in,
And no folk should be sad: Chorus

The Lord's Supper

Tabletalk's November issue, pg 15:


"The traditional Reformed view of the Lord's Supper.... differs markedly from memorialism in claiming that Christ is indeed present in His sSUpper. More is involved than a remembrance on the part of the participants....

"The eating of drinking [of Christ, referred to in John 6] is not physical but is nonetheless real and true. Christ does not come down to us in His body and bolood; rather we are lifeted up to Him by the Holy Spirit....

"There is both a real, objective communion in the Lord's Supper and, at the same time, the condition of those who receive it is not incidental or superfluous. We feed on Christ through faith, just as He taught. Just as we need a mouth to receive bread and wine, so we need faith to receive Christ. As Robert Bruce put it, 'As soon as you receive the bread in your mouth (if you are a faithful man or woman) you receive the body of Christ in your soul, and that by faith' (They Mystery of the Lord's Supper, 44)."


On a personal note, it is a tremendous blessing to be partaking of the Supper every week in worship...

Lord of the Dance

Not exactly Christmas, except the first verse, but great lyrics, nonetheless.
Hear the music

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they would not follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came to me and the dance went on.
Refrain

I danced on the sabbath when I cured the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame;
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high;
And they left me there on a cross to die.
Refrain

I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back;
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and I still go on.
Refrain

They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Refrain

The Holly and the Ivy

Hear music

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown

Chorus:
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
(Chorus)

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
(Chorus)

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
(Chorus)

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
(Chorus)

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
(Chorus)

Sweet Jesus

An old German carol, harmonized by Bach
Hear it sung (may take a minute)

O Jesus so sweet, O Jesus so mild,
The Father's will done by a child;
From heaven you came down to the earth,
and gave yourself a human birth
O Jesus so sweet, O Jesus so mild.

O Jesus so sweet, O Jesus so mild,
You turned your Father's anger wild;
You paid the debt of all our race,
bestowed on us your Father's grace,
O Jesus so sweet, O Jesus so mild.

O Jesus so sweet, O Jesus so mild,
Love's beauty found in this small child;
Inspire us with your love's bright flame,
So we all may love you the same,
O Jesus so sweet, O Jesus so mild.