Recovering the Holy of the Christmas Holiday

Posted by tom | Dec 3, 2006

Light of lights! All gloom dispelling,
Thou didst come to make thy dwelling
Here within our world of sight.
Lord, in pity and power,
Thou didst in our darkest hour
Rend the clouds and show thy light.

Praise to thee in earth and heaven
Now and evermore be given,
Christ, who art our sun and shield.
Lord, for us thy life thou gavest,
Those who trust in thee thou savest,
All thy mercy stands revealed.

--St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274)
Medieval theologian and philosopher

I came across this in Recovering the Holy of the Christmas Holiday. Set aside some time today to begin your Advent reflections.

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Looking for Christmas music in the house?

Posted by tom | Dec 2, 2006

We'd encourage you to download Sufjan Stevens' streaming Christmas music. Our family's been listening to Songs For Christmas almost non-stop since we received our order from Hearts and Minds Bookstore, where it is in stock :-) Come on! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance! (Volume 3, Song 2) is Tom's favorite. Let's sing-a-long during the Advent season.

FYI: Pitchfork's review.

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A prayer to reflect upon

Posted by tom | Dec 2, 2006

Help Me Out, Lord . . .

As you helped Abraham, and Isaac, and devious Jacob;

Joseph, and his dastardly brothers;
Moses, Aaron, and those disobedient children of the Exodus;
Samson the judge
and Samson the condemned prisoner;
David the sweet singer,
and David the seductive sinner;
Righteous Daniel in the Lion's den;
renegade Jonah in the belly of the great fish;
Holy Hezekiah on his bed of sickness;
unholy Manasseh in a Babylonian prison;
Peter walking on the waters;
Peter sinking under the waves through unbelief;
Paul in prison; Paul in prison; Paul in prison . . .
Faithful Paul with his thorn;
Sinful Paul, who confessed:
"I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing";
Sinful Paul, who confessed again:
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Help me out, Lord.

As you have so many times before.

Thank you, Lord. Again.

-- excerpted from Wright Doyle, who ministers to Chinese in this country and overseas through his work as director of the China Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. He also serves as general editor for the BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF CHINESE CHRISTIANITY. Posted in full at http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2006-11-28

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