This is the absolutely beautiful poem That amazing Kristyn Getty recites As a prelude to the beautiful song, Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour you’ll find below:
Into the Darkest Hour By the amazing Madeleine L’Engle
“It was a time like this, war & tumult of war, a horror in the air. Hungry yawned the abyss – and yet there came the star, and the child most wonderfully there.
It was a time like this of fear & lust for power, license & greed and blight – and yet the Prince of bliss came into the darkest hour in quiet & silent light.
And in a time like this how celebrate his birth when all things fall apart? Ah! Wonderful it is: with no room on the earth, the stable is our heart.”
~ ~ ~
“Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor; Thrones for a manger didst surrender, Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor.
Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man; Stooping so low, but sinners raising Heavenwards by thine eternal plan. Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man.
Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, Make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee.”
Thanks again, to Keith and Kristyn Getty for a brilliant rendering of this song which is highly appropriate to the Advent season, or any season of a Christian’s life.
Violin played beautifully by Deborah Klemme (Music copyright 2015 Paul Campbell (BMI) (Admin. by Arlon Songs Ltd.)
A joyous Advent season to you and yours, Your Gloryteller
This is the absolutely beautiful poem That amazing Kristyn Getty recites As a prelude to the beautiful song, Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour you’ll find below:
Into the Darkest Hour By the amazing Madeleine L’Engle
“It was a time like this, war & tumult of war, a horror in the air. Hungry yawned the abyss – and yet there came the star, and the child most wonderfully there.
It was a time like this of fear & lust for power, license & greed and blight – and yet the Prince of bliss came into the darkest hour in quiet & silent light.
And in a time like this how celebrate his birth when all things fall apart? Ah! Wonderful it is: with no room on the earth, the stable is our heart.”
~ ~ ~
“Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor; Thrones for a manger didst surrender, Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor.
Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man; Stooping so low, but sinners raising Heavenwards by thine eternal plan. Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man.
Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, Make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee.”
Thanks again, to Keith and Kristyn Getty for a brilliant rendering of this song which is highly appropriate to the Advent season, or any season of a Christian’s life.
Violin played beautifully by Deborah Klemme (Music copyright 2015 Paul Campbell (BMI) (Admin. by Arlon Songs Ltd.)
A joyous Advent season to you and yours, Your Gloryteller
Hi, Sisters and Brothers! Tomorrow is already the third Sunday of Advent. That’s hard to believe; time is flying by. This year is as it was in 2017 when I wrote the article below – the fourth Sunday of Advent coincides with Christmas Eve Day. Perhaps you are like me in your extra-special “rejoicement” when this happens. I just want to wish you and yours a good and meaningful Advent and a joyous Christbirth celebration!
With hope, peace, joy, and love,
Your Gloryteller
First Sunday
“Advent” is here! It is today!
All Creation is pregnant with anticipation!
This is the time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth – the most unprecedented, and unequaled; the most earth-shakingevent in human history!
(Well, depending on how you perceive it, it’s definitely one of the top two!)
The word “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” which means coming, or arrival, of a person or thing.
In this special and absolutely unique case, Who and what is coming is rich in mystery;
profound in its implications! Excitement builds in Heaven and earth!
I find it interesting that the words “Advent” and “adventure” are so closely related, which is fitting since we are waiting and preparing for the arrival of a series of awe-inducing, exciting events :
All that surrounds Jesus’ Nativity celebration, A son is to be given, 700 year-old prophecy to be fulfilled, The imminent arrival of Emmanuel, “God With Us”,
The Kingdom of God being established on Earth,
Reconciliation with the Father,
Renewal of all things, Rescue of the perishing, Redemption of souls,
Atonement,
Forgiveness,
Abundant life,
Signs and wonders,
Miraculous acts, Great Joy will be made available to all people,
Messiah! Savior! Christ! He’s coming, already, not yet, and soon! The image of The Father will walk on earth, The advent of Love!
And more, and more, and more! And, in the fullness of time, Jesus’ long-awaited final return!
When someone important to us is coming to visit, we know we must wait. Patiently or not. Before their arrival, we must prepare as best we can. Thus, we are waiting, and prayerfully preparing, not just for events, but for the arrival of the Personage without whom there would be no experience of exciting spiritual adventure, no exploration of mysteries unknown, no real and true experience of love and life whatsoever.
But for the birth of the little Lord Jesus, I could not live. As He is born, so am I.
So are we all!
I wait and look forward to honoring His birth; to observing the amazing circumstances that surround it.
It has “happened” again and again in countless hearts and minds. It is happening now in mine,
and will again, endlessly, with passage of time.
I ceremoniously light the first candle in the Advent wreath,
the candle of hope, also, the first flame in my heart.
The expectant waiting and preparation of my heart applies not only to Christbirth,
but to Resurrection Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Jesus’ final return as well.
Advent is an important concept.
It is exciting, yet peaceful at the same time.
I want to make it part of me;
I want to live it.
Advent First Week
The first week of Advent is said to be concentrated upon the hope of the Savior’s arrival as supported by the Scriptures’ prophetic promises. There are several pertinent verses, but I chose this one :
“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 33:14-15).
O, Jesus, We await your sweet arrival!
~~~~~~
Words and Music for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow by Charles Wesley:
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
1. 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.
2. 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.
(*emphases, mine)
The hope that we children of God have is a confident hope,
an enduring and an eternal hope. Peter tells us that the Child of God has “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter: 1-4 )
Advent Week Two
The second week of Advent is focused on peace.
Waiting becomes a bit more intense as we add the expectancy of hope and peace in preparation for our Savior’s arrival.
We light the second candle,
the candle of peace, If not on our tables, Then in our hearts. And light increases. It doubles! We can hardly wait until the full light
of His glorious presence shines upon the world,
and also upon each of us!
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus is the only one that can bring peace with God.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all mankind upon which His favor rests!” Luke 2: 13-14
Here’s a song that is full of hope and peace, And light too!
Advent Third Week
We are in the third and final full week preceding the joy-filled celebration day!
This week we savor the JOY surrounding His coming to live with us!
Emmanuel – here because of The Father’s love for all people.
In this third week, we also remember all the proclamations made about our coming Christ-child, our Messiah, our glorious Savior; proclamations by Isaiah, by angels, by Elizabeth, by Mary, by Zechariah, by more angels, and by many others.
Luke 2:9 Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people!
He is coming not to condemn those lost in the dark, but to give them a saving light. What joy it is to know Him, having been one of those lost, and now having His light.
And what a joy it is to know the astounding love of The Father,
Who sent this generous gift of His Son!
(many thanks, Spadecaller, for the upload. Your art is moving!)
I light the third candle,
the candle of joy,
And light increases again.
Even the stars seem brighter,
and the moon waxes!
The candle flames have kindled
a fire of rejoicing in my heart!
I, the least of believers, proclaim this joy, proclaim His glory, (like it says in the header at the top)
And suddenly, we come to:
The Fourth Sunday of Advent Today, December 24, 2017 (four years ago) is the fourth Sunday of Advent,
which also coincides with Christmas Eve.
We light the fourth candle – the love candle,
in my book, the easiest one to light in the heart,
for Father God loved us first, and then sent His Jesus
to enable us to fully love Him.
Love rescued and love reconciled!
This candle also signifies His presence.
The Advent season is all about expectant waiting;
excited, hopeful, waiting for the Baby’s presence!
We want Him to be born soon!
We want to see Him!
He seems so close,
The air is charged.
We can almost feel angels in the air.
The Spirit of God certainly presides over our village.
Everything is poised; miraculously in position.
Mary, her Baby, Joseph, shepherds,
angels – lots of angels!
Peace and joy are closing in.
Tonight is the Holy Night – Jesus Christ’s night.
The Advent of Christ is all but complete.
Are preparations perfect? Is my heart ready for His arrival? I find myself wishing that I could be better prepared, And more ready, But, He. Was. Born. Last. Night ! ? !
Could it be?
Yes, it is:
Christmas Day
And so, the season of expectant waiting is complete!
I light the largest, purest, center candle,
the only One left. and the flame in my heart roars to life! To life! Hope is fulfilled! In our Immanuel, our Jesus,
all prophecies and promises are now reality! His name is Light of the World! His name is Peace!
His name is Son!
His name is Love! His name is Savior! His name is King! His name is Everlasting! His name is God! His presence is good news, bringing great joy for all people! His presence makes darkness flee! The Light of the World has finally come! And like so many believers, so many bloggers, I repeat the sounding JOY!
Joy To the World, and Peace to ALL mankind!
Joy to the World, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy!
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found!
He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love!
~ ~ ~
And yet,
it is not over . . .
I must stay prepared;
keep waiting expectantly;
with confident hope,
with all the peace, joy, and love, grace can provide; The “second” Advent begins now, And all Creation is pregnant with anticipation!
He came down so that we could live – really live – with Him and our loved-ones in Heaven. Forever together. We need that hope more with each passing day . . .
The theme of hope continues with this song:
Thank you, Kari Jobe for singing, and Bob Marshall for the upload.
He came down so that we could live – really live – with Him and our loved-ones in Heaven. Forever together. We need that hope more with each passing day . . .
~ ~ ~
This is the last day of the first week of Advent 2018.
The theme of hope continues with this song:
Thank you, Kari Jobe and Bob Marshall for the upload.
He came down so that we could live – really live – with Him and our loved-ones in Heaven. Forever together. We need that hope more with each passing day . . .
Thank you, Kari Jobe and Bob Marshall for the upload.
He came down so that we could live – really live – with Him and our loved-ones in Heaven. Forever together. We need that hope more with each passing day . . .
Thank you, Kari Jobe and Bob Marshall for the upload.
He came down so that we could live – really live – with Him and our loved-ones in Heaven. Forever together. We need that hope more with each passing day . . .
Thank you, Kari Jobe and Bob Marshall for the upload.
What cold, hard stone where I lie, What bitter womb is this ice, Bears me down into despair, The colder that you’re not here, Don’t seem to be anywhere, So . . lonely . . . cold.
( Chaurus )
Oh! Have I been a hope-struck fool, To wait for you, To make me whole, Be everything, To warm my soul, Thaw my heart – Make it sing?
2.
How hard the isolation, I always thought that you’d come, To take me into the sun, Before my time is undone, I can’t endure alone, So . . broken . . . cold.
( Chaurus 2 )
Here I lay naked on this stone, My tired bones, Count all the loss, Dark, empty cold, Where have I gone? What have I done? Why won’t you come?
3.
Oh! Once I thought I had you. Soul’s Joy! Just knew I had you, Was close, but not the real you . . . Left with nothing all too soon, How I suffer without you. So . . shattered . . . cold.
(Chaurus 3 )
I dream it’s warmer where you are, Won’t you come take me there, The real you, The depth of you, The joy of you, The weight of you, I’m . . fading . . . ( soon . . . . ).
4.
Where is the place that you are, How sad I dream it’s not far, I sometimes feel you are near, Cry out, but you never hear, I’m entrapped in frozen tears, So . . stranded . . . cold.
( Chaurus 4 )
The warm, rich tapestry of you, From Elven loom, My grasp eludes, Cold, mocking moon, His chill exudes, What aching doom, Rescue . . me . . . soon . . . .
5.
How numbing is this north wind, How cutting through my pale skin, How sharp, it pierces my heart, This winter gnaws me apart, Once was light, all is now dark, So dim . . . So . . . cold . . .
( Chaurus )
Oh! Have I been a hope-struck fool, To wait for you , To make me whole, Be everything, To warm my soul, Thaw my heart – Make it sing?
6.
Oh! Solitary misery, This hungry wind devours me, Your loss and lack I mourn, All else I could have borne, How thin my fabric has worn, So . . deathly . . . cold
( Chaurus )
The warm, rich tapestry of you, From Elven loom, My grasp eludes, Cold, mocking moon, His chill exudes, What aching doom, Rescue . . me . . . soon . . . .
He came down so that we could live – really live – with Him and our loved-ones in Heaven. Forever together. We need that hope more with each passing day . . .
I feel very strange. The day before yesterday I was strongly led to write this unusual piece – “Shards”. (unusual, for me, in its pain and darkness – I’m more into joy)
Around noon yesterday (Friday, 12-14-2012) I saw the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut on the news. I had not planned to give God much of a part in this poem. I intended it for encouragement for one individual, that “they” might be encouraged by it and know that they are not alone in their plight of brokenness. However, yesterday morning, as I awoke, I was strongly led to change it, and include His compassionate nature in the final stanzas. I hesitated to post this in fear of being inappropriate, but I feel strongly that He wants someone to read this. I emphasize that this was written before the tragedy. It is my hope and prayer that it will draw someone to Him and lead them into his arms. Today I will post “Shards”. I have no answers to the usual questions which tend to make people turn away from God in times like these. “Where’s God?” “Why does God allow innocent blood to be spilled; innocent lives to be taken?” “Why does He so often allow evil to prevail?” “Is it because of the rebellious and disobedient nature of mankind?” “Is it because when we, as a people, decided to ‘go it alone’ without Him, He decided to show us how that would work out for us?” I don’t know. This is all I know at this moment: I refuse to let these questions shatter the faith that I, with His grace, have gone through so much to maintain. I refuse to be captive to my own meager understanding. Jesus didn’t come to earth to eliminate murder. He came to comfort the brokenhearted, for one thing. We still live under the curse of evil and we all face death – old and young alike – but Jesus came here to address death and defeat it for each of us through His resurrection.
I refuse to let evil steal my joy and my hope, for this is what it boils down to, for me — that our only hope to be reunited with those innocent souls is through Jesus Christ. I am absolutely certain that Jesus’ compassion for innocent souls, those taken too soon, is immense, for, in a sense, He was one of them. It is through faith, trust, and belief in Him alone that we will be allowed to rejoin those beautiful innocents again in full joy, to sing, and dance, and laugh, and love with them forever.
Shards
The countless shards of one shattered heart, An exploding, expanding sphere of chaos, Spreading wide and scattering apart, Across the world, a swarm of loss. Shards acutely sharp, Across the heavens, destruction hurled, Shards immutably hard, Dark devastation unfurled.
Small flechettes ripping flesh and bone, Piercing even the fragile membrane Between the body and the soul, Replacing joy’s song with despair’s refrains Shredding the universe into coarse turmoil,
~~~
Unsharded
Where, in the lovingkindness of His heart of compassion, God gathers them all in His arms, and His hands, And skillfully, then, He begins to re-fashion Refitting them back as only He can.
Remaking, shaping, forming, unshattering, Deftly rounds off the pain and re-tunes – it’s an art, He fits them all back, in a shape that’s most flattering. Then removing the thing that tore them apart,
He creates a new unshatterable heart. He creates a brand-new unshardable heart.
Alone in the Rockies.
Gloryteller 