Favourite Christmas Song

by Terry Long

            For years my favourite song has been “O Holy Night” and I still get chills with the lines “long lay the world in sin and error pining, t’ill he appeared and the soul felt its worth…”  I know it is familiar to you all.    I truly love this carol.  But ten years ago I was introduced to an unfamiliar and fairly unknown song written by Brian Doerksen in 1994.  It was sung by the amazing Carl and Hana Erickson from Toronto one Christmas at Runnymede Baptist Church.  The tune and lyrics are beautiful.  To my knowledge, there has only been one recording ever made and it is difficult to find, but it is well worth the search if you do find it.   I had to go directly to Brian himself to obtain more information about it.   I really hope that he will record it again.  (Brian, I told you that already and those of us who know the song are still hoping and waiting)   Here is a portion of the lyrics and yes….it also gave me chills when I heard it sung.

                                                                         

Jesus, I love the way 
You came to earth 
Through the humble act of birth 
I can almost hear
The angels gasp
As they listen to Your newborn cry

Jesus, you are our Humble King.

Charles Wesley’s Christmas Prayer

by Richard Long,

Charles Wesley wrote thousands of songs in his day. A few of them have survived as classics, including some Christmas carols. The best known is Wesley’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”.

Lesser known, but truly a prayer is the Advent Hymn, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”.

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

 

For Unto Us a Son is Given …

by Richard Long,

  I was asked to be a guest preacher at a local congregation here in Ottawa yesterday.  Being Christmas Sunday, the challenge before me was to speak about this grand theme. 

  Fortunately I had been inspired by listening to Handel’s Messiah earlier in the season, so I chose as my text the prophecy of Isaiah from chapter 9:1-7, especially focusing on the 4 names of the royal child: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

  I began my message by playing an audio version of the relevant portion of The Messiah.

Here it is on Youtube performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.  Enjoy!

Gracious Window – Peter Tigchelaar

by Richard Long,

There is a new CD that I want to highly recommend to you.  It’s the long-awaited album from our good friend Peter Tigchelaar titled – “Gracious Window”.  It’ s not only a highly musical CD, but you will be inspired by the lyrics that come from his poetic heart.  Terry and I often refer to our dear friend as the “Minstrel of Hamilton.”  We want to share him with the rest of you!

Here’s the lyrics from the title song below.  I love that it is a song about prayer.

“But I can see more from on my knees”

You can go to his website and hear 3 sample songs which I am sure will convince you to buy some CD’s for people on your Christmas list.

Go to www.petertigchelaar.com  You can even watch him live on video doing his classical minstrel stuff.

Gracious Window

 

It’s another gracious window

opening out of a broken down day

and here’s yet another faithful stairway

bringing down songs to light the way

 

I don’t know how long it’s going to be open

and I can’t see the end of the galaxies

pouring through this gracious window

but I can see more from on my knees.

 

It’s a big house with many mansions

it’s such a big house, ‘cause it’s the universe

Such risky grace taking so many chances

to rescue each one from the ancient curse

 

I don’t know how long it’s going to be open

so now is your chance,  this is the day

to climb on in this gracious window

come on in – it’s the universe!

 

I don’t know how long it’s going to be open

I can’t see the end of the galaxies

pouring through this gracious window          

cascading down this faithful stairway

but I can see more from on my knees.

 

 words & music by Peter Tigchelaar

 Listen to Gracious Window here.

My Glorious Enough

My Glorious Enough – Ruth Harms Calkin

Oh, how I love You, my Lord

But not enough.

How I hunger and thirst for You

But not enough.

How I rejoice in Your inimitable goodness

But not enough.

Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God

Into every vacant hollow

Into every cluttered chamber

Of my longing heart.

Free me from every shallow substitute

From every hidden pretense

Until I shall know

With deep, consuming conviction

That You are Glorious Enough.

 

The Manifest Presence of God – Alan Gilman

 

 

 

One of our friends in ministry here in Ottawa has a weekly online writing ministry which is a fresh challenge and inspiration each time.  Here’s an excerpt from Alan Gilman’s “Torahbytes”.  We encourage you to subscribe so that you can receive it on a regular basis.

The Manifest Presence of God – Alan Gilman 

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Shemot / Exodus 40:34,35; ESV)

An important teaching of the Scriptures is the omnipresence of God, which is another way to say that the God of Israel is everywhere. As King David wrote, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Psalm 139:7,8; ESV)

Even though God is everywhere, that doesn’t mean that he makes himself known everywhere in the exact same way. This is what we see at the completion of the Mishkan (English: Tabernacle). The cloud was a visible and powerful expression or manifestation of God. The overwhelming nature of God’s presence in the cloud was such that Moses could not enter the Mishkan while the cloud was there. This didn’t mean that the Creator of the Universe was exclusively contained within this cloud. It is that this was a special and tangible way in which God revealed himself. This type of expression of God’s presence is often called “the manifest presence of God.”

Read the rest of this Torahbyte here.

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