And the evening and the morning were the eighth day. We should not be surprised at the pattern of darkness and then light, a pattern which we see not only in the creation of the world, but also in the re-creation of all things. And the beginning of the re-creation of all things is what …
Christmas Eve Prayer
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, amen. Our Father and God, our gracious Lord, we gather before You now as a grateful people. We have been forgiven all our sins against You, and we have been given the gift of forgiving others their sins against us. We thank …
Bread Baked in Heaven
As the Lord broke open the bread of life, and as He gave the cup of the new testament, He went on to say that the hand of the one who was to betray Him was resting on the same table. He went on to say that the Son of man was going just as …
Deep Kindness
A new commandment is given to you, that you love one another. This love is not to be understood as a mere sentiment, although it makes all true sentiment possible, and more than possible, lovely. Love means that we are to treat one another as the voice of God requires, and that we are to …
Christmas Sunrise
Introduction And the evening and the morning were the eighth day. We should not be surprised at the pattern of darkness and then light, a pattern which we see not only in the creation of the world, but also in the re-creation of all things. The Text: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify …
The Virgin Bears Salvation
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Praise the Lord! All you servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! Bless the name of the Lord, From this moment out, Forever and for aye! From the point of the sun rising, To the place it goes down, …
The Worldview of Christmas
This is the fourth Lord’s Day of Advent, the year of our Lord, 2005. Worldviews are more complicated than a being just a simple bundle of propositions. Propositions are of course involved—no one has a worldview who cannot answer questions about what he believes. But in our circles, this tends to be the only aspect …
The Table of Acceptance
We are a conservative church. We believe the Bible. We hold to the tenets of the Reformed faith, and we have no patience with the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which God also hates. With all this being the case, this meal could easily turn into a banquet of self-congratulation. But it is a meal for …
Growing Up in Harmony
Our Father and gracious God, we look to You now in the great name of Jesus Christ our Lord. We know that apart from Him, we could not even approach You, still less celebrate in Your presence. We are grateful for forgiveness of sins, and we are grateful for the resultant fellowship around this table. …
God Rest Ye Merry
Advent marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year. As we approach yet another celebration of Christmas as a people, we need to recall how to celebrate such days as the people of God. If we are not careful, we will stumble—perhaps to the right and perhaps to the left. For the weapons of our warfare …