The Road to Bethlehem – With Us

Merry Christmas Dear Reader,

As we journey toward Bethlehem I wonder if we realize what we seek.  So many noble deeds and unspeakable horrors have been visited upon humans in the name of seeking God.  When I ponder the things that we do to find or avoid God it astounds me. 

We make it more complex.  We use it for our own purposes.  We deny God’s existence.  We acknowledge him and still defy him.   We sacrifice to find and serve him.  We either embrace or ignore the natural revelation we are given.

John Glenn, who passed away yesterday day, saw it this way: “To look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible. It just strengthens my faith.”

Those of us who believe want him to be with us.  We want to believe and then find our faith realized.  We want hope to be fulfilled.  This is the way of the song I ponder today.  We mourn in exile until he appears again.  We watch the world spin toward more darkness whilst we yearning for the Light.  

Then I ponder the things the Son said when he was with us:

“I am come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

“The poor you will have with you always.  I will not always be here.”

“I would have gathered you like a mother hen gathers her chicks.”

“And I, when I am lifted up will draw all men unto myself.”

“I AM he.”

“But I am always with you, even to the end of the age.”

Emmanuel, literally “God with us”, has come.  He has ransomed us.  He has given us a reason to journey home.  He promised to return.  We journey to Bethlehem to get to the cross, to get to the ransom, to get to the resurrection, to get to the return.   It is in that constant flow that we travel.  The cross becomes the fulcrum in the void that lifts the God that is with us to the height necessary to draw us to him.

We celebrate the Advent of our reclamation and journey toward the fulfillment of it.  The promise of Christmas is strong and we must still seek the fulfillment of that promise.  So come Emmanuel to collect the result of your ransom.  We still languish in exile waiting for you to make all things good. 

O Come O Come Emmanuel – Pentatonix

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.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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The Crimson Thread of Christmas – Scaffolding

Greetings Dear Reader,

The family that migrates to Egypt becomes a nation.  They grow, prosper, and are enslaved in Egypt.  The Father has not forgotten his promise to Abraham.  He is prepared to begin the fulfillment of those promises.

The primary promise of the tapestry is the promise to make his family a blessing to everyone.  The intent is to weave that tapestry all the way to Bethlehem.  To get there he sets in place a celebration of the future. 

The Passover becomes the annual portent of the coming redemption.  The thread is woven into a thick cord here that will provide the border of our tapestry.  It is this annual feast that being with the exodus from Egypt that marks the reminder that all of the year revolves around redemption.

The year proceeds and culminates around the celebration of Passover for the children of Abraham.  Through this sacrifice and supper will come the supper and sacrifice that will be our redemption.  Through the Cedar wine flows the promise of a blessing for all nations. 

The crimson thread of Christmas is found in the growth of the family of Abraham into a nation.  Nationally they are to pause and celebrate the coming Messiah every year.  The realization of that Messiah begins in a manger in Bethlehem.   The exodus to Israel provides the needed nation that contains the needed Bethlehem.

The tapestry has a framework that will hold the remaining threads of our redemption story. The promise of God with us and among us has a beginning.  The Passover in Exodus is a key component of that beginning.  I must never forget in the midst of my celebrating that the incarnation’s purpose is death.  Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.

I celebrate the child but know that my sin will crucify the man.  How can I not honor what he asks me to be as his follower.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Amy Grant

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.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Why I love Christmas – God with Us

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

As I sit here in my writing room anticipation has me giddy.  I know that I have completed most of the tasks on my list.  I have been able to give significantly to the needs of others.  It has been a privilege to help some friends in genuine Christmas need.  A sea of gifts awaits around my gift tree so that I may bless my children and grandchildren.

I have found great joy in preparing for the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  I have moved among my fellow travelers the entire year attempting to live the spirit of this reality.  God comes to us. He chooses to be with us.  He wishes to reconcile with us. 

Even though we are the ones on the journey to God it is he that travels to us in every moment.  It is he that makes a way by being the propitiation for our sin.  He builds the bridge to us so that we can travel to him. 

Everything I wish to do at Christmas I hope to root in this hope.  As I turn toward the actual day I pray that my family sees God’s love for them in my gifts and preparations.  I hope that the things I dwell on are only connected to Christ and his love for us. 

The ebb and flow of the seasons always draw me to this time of year.  I think of Christmas Day almost every day.  I dwell on the incarnation and advent.  I savor that because of this day God is with us always.

A Hallelujah Christmas - Cloverton

I've heard about this baby boy

Who's come to earth to bring us joy

And I just want to sing this song to you

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

With every breath I'm singing Hallelujah

Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem

Expecting child, they searched the inn

To find a place for You were coming soon

There was no room for them to stay

So in a manger filled with hay

God's only Son was born, oh Hallelujah

Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night

To see this baby wrapped in light

A host of angels led them all to You

It was just as the angels said

You'll find Him in a manger bed

Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah

Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east

To Bethlehem, the wise men three

Came many miles and journeyed long for You

And to the place at which You were

Their frankincense and gold and myrrh

They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah

Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me

This baby boy would grow to be

A man and one day die for me and you

My sins would drive the nails in You

That rugged cross was my cross, too

Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store." 

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