Day 5 - 12 Days Until Christmas

Matt. 1:18-25

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

For a reading of this Scripture

Day 5 song excerpt

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn King,

peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconcile.

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

join the triumph of the skies;

with the angelic host proclaim,

'Christ is born in Bethlehem'

Hark! the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn King.

Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

late in time behold him come,

offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

hail, the incarnate deity,

pleased as Man with to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Hark! the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn King.

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!

Hail the Sun of righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,

born that man no more may die,

born to raise the suns of earth,

born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn King.

Words by Charles Wesley, 1739,  adapted by William H. Cummings from composition by Felix Mendelssohn ,1840

Sung by Amy Grant, A Christmas Album

In Christian love,
K

Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

Day 4 - 12 Days Until Christmas

^{Luke 1:26-38}

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

For a reading of this Scripture

Day 4 Song excerpt

Mary, Did You Know?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again.

The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak

The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

Written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene

Sung by Clay Aiken, Merry Christmas with Love

In Christian love,
K

Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

Day 3 - 12 Days Until Christmas

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

For a reading of this Scripture

Day 3 Song excerpt

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high 

Sweetly singing ore the plains

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem an see

Christ whose birth the angels sing

Come adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord the newborn King

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Gloria in excelsis Deo

See Him in a manger laid

Whom the choirs of angels praise

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid

While our hearts in love we raise

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Unknown, translated by James Chawick 1862

Sung by Avalon, God With Us - A Celebration of Christmas Carols and Classics

In Christian love,
K

Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

Day 2 - 12 Days Until Christmas

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

December 14, 2012

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive an give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel.

For a reading of this Scripture

Day 2 Song excerpt

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Sung by Stephen Curtis Chapman, from God With Us, A Celebration of Christmas Carols and Classics

Words:  Written in Latin text in the 12th Century - author unknown, translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.

In Christian love,
K

Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

Day 1 - 12 Days Until Christmas

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

December 13, 2012

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

For a reading of this Scripture

Day 1 Song excerpt 

What Child is This?

What Child is this, who laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping.

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.

Haste, haste to bring Him laud

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Good Christian, fear:

For sinners here,

The silent Word is pleading;

Nails, spear, shall pierce Him through,

The Cross be borne, for me, for you:

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,

Come peasant king to own HIm,

The King of Kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone HIm.

Raise, raise the song on high,

The Virigin sings her lullaby;

Joy, joy, for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary!

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sings:

Haste, haste to bring Him laud, 

The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Sung by Cheri Keaggy, from God With Us, A Celebration of Christmas Carols and Classics

Words:  William C. Dix, The Manger Throne, 1865

Music: Greensleeves, 16th century English melody

In Christian love,

K

Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

The 12 Days Until Christmas begins tomorrow!

The Christmas season, a time of great joy, has somehow become very busy. With much anticipation, there is often accompanying anxiety. The best antidote for apprehension this season is to be in the Word of God.  This site is dedicated to the peace that surpasses all understanding that comes from God.  May He bless you as you read His story and enjoy the words of some of the sacred songs of the season.

I will release one Scripture and one excerpt from a Christmas song each day until Christmas. I hope enjoy the 12 Days Until Christmas in Song and Word. 

With Christian love,

K

Karen C. Seddon

Christian Educators Association, Int. (CEAI)

State Director for Florida

kseddon@ceai.org

Advent

Have you ever prepared for Christmas through Advent? It is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The term comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming." Typically, Advent begins on December 1 and counts down until December 25^th.  Some families build up to Christmas starting on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving, but no matter when you start, I highly recommend that you involve your family in an advent tradition. In our times today, Christmas has become so secularized that the hope of the Christian celebration, Jesus, is put on the back burner.

I have two favorite ways to build up to Christmas: The 12 Days Until Christmas, A Sacred Christmas Through Song and Word and creating a Jesse Tree.  The first one is on my website. I release one Scripture and one small portion of a holy song and send an email reminder to those who care to receive it.  It begins on December 13^th and ends on December 24^th.  It’s such a great reminder to be in the Word and to give praise to our Savior through the Word and song. Holy and traditional Christmas songs are an inspiration and give me focus.

The Jesse Tree is an old tradition based on Jesse, the father of David, and the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many websites and books that help create a Jesse Tree with specific ornaments for each day in Advent and the Bible story to match. It’s an excellent way to teach children the life of Jesus. I used the tradition ornaments in paper cut-out format the last two years, but this year I am going to use the format of the Jesus Storybook Bible.  It’s amazing!  The Jesus Storybook Bible, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and beautifully illustrated by Jago offers the perfect advent tree framework. They have put together an artful path through the Bible that shows how Jesus IS the story of the Bible. On their website, they have suggestions for using the Jesus Storybook Bible for advent and then I was hooked.  Tomorrow is December 1^st and my grandbabies and I are going to hang the first “ornament” (an image from the Jesus Storybook Bible printed, cut into a circle and laminated) on a metallic wall tree in my home. For 25 days, we will continue the process beginning with Creation and ending with Jesus in the manger.  I highly recommend a day-by-day expectation process such a Advent and Jesse Trees to help us stay grounded in Who we worship.

I also heard a great interview with Phil Vischer, the creator of Veggie Tales and now Buck Denver Asks What is the Bible? He also highly recommends building up to Christmas and grounding our children in the spiritual intention.  They are saturated with the secular, material Christmas, but Phil Vischer, in his very creative style has designed a  specific episode of his Buck Denver series to discuss the sacred meaning of Christmas.  It doesn’t matter what you use to prepare yourself or your children, the key word is to prepare. Spending less time shopping and more time in the Word may be just the gift of peace we all need.

May the Lord of grace and peace grant you and your family a very special and holy Christmas season.

Prayerfully dependent,

K