Blessed Christmas to You

Music on Christmas Morning

Music I love—but ne’er a strain

Could kindle raptures so divine,

So grief assuage, so conquer pain,

And rouse this pensive heart of mine;

As that we hear on Christmas morn,

Upon the wintry breezes born.

To greet with joy the glorious morn,

Which angels welcomed long ago,

When our redeeming Lord was born,

To bring the light of Heaven below . . .

With them, I celebrate His birth;

Glory to God, in highest Heaven,

Good will to men, and peace on Earth,

To us a Savior King is given;

Our God is come to claim His own,

And Satan’s power is overthrown!

A sinless God, for sinful men,

Descends to suffer and to bleed;

Hell must renounce its empire then;

The price is paid, the world is freed,

And Satan’s self must now confess,

That Christ has earned a right to bless.

—Anne Brontē (1820-1849)

Romans 5:1-5 (The Message)

1-2By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Merry Christmas!