Advent 1 - Walk I The Light

This is pretty much the first evening that I have had to myself through the entire Christmas season.  I have a backlog of things that I need to do, and I have created a list to help me get through as much as I can before I go back to work.

On my list, one of my points say, "Add information to FAITH MEMO". Well this is what I am doing right now!  Over the Advent season, I like to collect things that I get from churches, such as useful verses or Christmas hymns that I like.  I then collect them, with the intent of adding them to my MEMO.  One of the things which I collected was a little book of Advent, which gives a series of quotes, prayers and things to think about.

So, I know that the season of advent is almost over, and some of these events that I am going to talk about have past now, but I would still like to share with you everything that I have collected during this festive period, starting with: Advent 1 - Walk in in the light.

Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Lord, our light,

light of truth, light of hope,

light of life, light of trust,

light of peace, light of life,

shine brightly in our lives this week.

Amen

Reflection for the week

Martin Luther King linked light and peace and said: 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that." Images of light fill our Advent hymns and songs in this dark season of the year.

Live in faith

Each time you switch on a light this week, pray that you will follow the light of Christ.

A Reading From The Holy Gospel According To Luke

On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharises; and they watched him closely.  He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour.  

He said the, "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour.  A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, 'Give up your seat to this man.'  And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place.  No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that when your host comes, he may say, 'My friend move up higher.'  In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted."  

Then he said to his host, "When you give a lunch or dinner, do not ask your friends, brother, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay courtesy by inviting you in return.  No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again."

I chose this Reading because it made me think about me and how I am as a person; the way value myself and the way I value others.

This reading made me realise that you should never think too highly of yourself because there is always someone who is higher than you.  Also, the people that you want to look good to, are not really the people that you should be trying to please or impress.  At the end of the day, they isn't any body who is uniquely special or more higher ranked to the people that actually matter.  The only person that we need to please is God; not ourselves and definitely not to others, just God.  

'Tis The Season To be Jolly!

Even though I can't stand winter, I love the Christmas season.  It's a time to give gifts and to give thanks and to remember the real reason for Christmas.... The birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

I was at church this evening for Christingle and the congregation were asked to say a prayer/ statement. I that this prayer was so true and I think it something that we all do. Below I have added the statement that we asked to say.

"Father God, we are sorry for when we make the Christmas season more about us than about you.  We are sorry for the times when we think, act or speak as if the story of Jesus' birth and his love for us, is more about making ourselves feel good, than following you in loving others.

May God who loved the world so much that he sent His Son to be our Saviour forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve Him in the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen"

Hymn 3

Verse 1

As I kneel before you,

as I bow my head in prayer,

take this day, make it yours 

and fill me with your love.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,

Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.

Verse 2

All I have I give you,

ev'ry dream and wish are yours,

Mother of Christ, Mother of mine

present them to my Lord.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,

Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.

Verse 3

As I kneel before you, 

and I see your smiling face,

ev'ry thought, ev'ry word

Is lost in your embrace.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,

Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.

The Servant King

Verse 1

From Heaven you came helpless babe,

entered our world your glory veiled,

not to be served but to serve 

and give your life that we might live.

Chorus

This is our God the Servant King,

He calls us now to follow Him,

to bring our lives as a daily offering

of worship to the Servant king.

Verse 2

There in the garden of tears

my heavy load He chose to bear;

His heart with sorrow was torn

'Yet not my will but yours,'He said.

Chorus

Verse 3

Come see His hands and his feet, 

the scars that speak of sacrifice,

hands that flung stars into space

to cruel nails surrendered.

Chorus

Verse 4

So let us learn how to serve 

and in our lives enthrone Him

each other's needs to prefer 

for it is Christ we're serving.

Chorus

Hymn One

All that I am, all that I do,

all that I'll ever have,

I offer to you.

Take your honour, Lord.

Knowing that I love and serve you

is enough reward.

All that I am, all that I do,

all that I'll ever have I offer to you.

All that I dream, all that I pray, 

all that I'll ever make,

I give to you today.

Take and sanctify these gifts 

for your honour, Lord.

Knowing that I love and serve you 

is enough reward.

All that I am, all that I do,

all that I'll ever have

I offer it to you.

3 Hymns

During Service today, we sung three really nice hymns.  Two of them I have never heard before, but one of them I knew from school, and a always find it to be quite a powerful song.

As usual, in my church they don't put down the names of the hymns, o if anyone knows the names of any of the two that I am unsure about, please send me a message, it will be appreciated. By the way, the hymn I do already know is "Servant King".

The hymns will follow in the posts above. =)