Sermon: Christmas Dawn (Psalm)
25 December AD 2013
The Nativity of Our Lord
Title: God Rest Ye Merry (MP3 Audio)
Summary: At its core, Christmas isn’t a time for merry hearts to join together. Instead, it’s a time for God to make merry those hearts burdened by sin and suffering.
The English carol doesn’t call for God to grant peace to those whose hearts are glad. Instead, it begins, “God rest ye merry, gentlemen.” It prays that the peace of God that surpasses understanding would gladden sad hearts, uplift downcast eyes, and bring health and healing.
God rests us merry as He forgives and restores us through the Gospel. He brings us into Christ our Sabbath rest and bids our worries cease. He rests us merry by placing us in the fellowship of the Church. Here we are comforted by the proclamation of the Gospel and fed the feast life in the Supper of Christ’s body and blood.
Text: Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of God Rest Ye Merry.
NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.
Other Readings: Isaiah 62:10-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-14) 15-20
Tags: Christmas Dawn | Christmas | The Nativity of Our Lord | Three Year Lectionary | 3 Year Lectionary | theology | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Gospel | Law and Gospel | Law | God | rest | merry | joy | world | 25 December 2013 | December 25, 2013 | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Church | Christian | Christianity | Christian Church | Psalm 98 | sermon | preaching | homily | text | theme | topic | God Rest Ye Merry | audio | mp3 | Pastor Snyder | Pastor Walter Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor | Happenings
The Nativity of Our Lord
Title: God Rest Ye Merry (MP3 Audio)
Summary: At its core, Christmas isn’t a time for merry hearts to join together. Instead, it’s a time for God to make merry those hearts burdened by sin and suffering.The English carol doesn’t call for God to grant peace to those whose hearts are glad. Instead, it begins, “God rest ye merry, gentlemen.” It prays that the peace of God that surpasses understanding would gladden sad hearts, uplift downcast eyes, and bring health and healing.
God rests us merry as He forgives and restores us through the Gospel. He brings us into Christ our Sabbath rest and bids our worries cease. He rests us merry by placing us in the fellowship of the Church. Here we are comforted by the proclamation of the Gospel and fed the feast life in the Supper of Christ’s body and blood.
Text: Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of God Rest Ye Merry.
NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.
Other Readings: Isaiah 62:10-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-14) 15-20
Tags: Christmas Dawn | Christmas | The Nativity of Our Lord | Three Year Lectionary | 3 Year Lectionary | theology | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Gospel | Law and Gospel | Law | God | rest | merry | joy | world | 25 December 2013 | December 25, 2013 | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Church | Christian | Christianity | Christian Church | Psalm 98 | sermon | preaching | homily | text | theme | topic | God Rest Ye Merry | audio | mp3 | Pastor Snyder | Pastor Walter Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor | Happenings
posted by Xrysostom | 07:00
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