December 7: The Coming of Christ
♫ Music:
WEEK TWO
Dec 7 – Dec 13
THE COMING OF CHRIST (I John 1: 1-14)
Day 8—Sunday, December 7
“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Malachi 3: 1-4
The Coming
R.S. Thomas
And God held in his hand
A small globe. Look, he said.
The son looked. Far off,
As through water, he saw
A scorched land of fierce
Colour. The light burned
There; crusted buildings
Cast their shadows: a bright
Serpent, a river
Uncoiled itself, radiant
With slime.
On a bare
Hill a bare tree saddened
The sky. Many people
Held out their thin arms
To it, as though waiting
For a vanished April
To return to its crossed
Boughs. The son watched
Them. Let me go there, he said.
Thomas, R. S. "The Coming." Collected Poems, 1945-1990. London: Phoenix, 2000. 234.
First Coming
Madeleine L’Engle
He did not wait till the world was ready,
'til men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.
He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine. He did not wait
'til hearts were pure. In joy he came
to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
he came, and his Light would not go out.
He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!
L'Engle, Madeleine. "First Coming." The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L'Engle. Colorado Springs, CO: Shaw, 2005. 242.
Unto Us
Kauas
Video art
About the Video and Filmmakers
Kauas are a Finnish marketing company based in Helsinki and London. They describe themselves as “a creative collective and storytelling powerhouse.” They design, develop, and produce branded content including photos, videos, and websites for companies and organizations who need cutting-edge marketing solutions. Unto Us was produced for the UK-based charity Christian Vision UK in 2013. The charity were interested in three short films that would be a new retelling of the nativity story told from the perspective of Mary & Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi, respectively. Despite a very short amount of pre-production, shoot, and post-production time, the Kauas team (then known as Brother Studios) was able to produce a modern version of the Nativity that was different, cinematic, and ultimately deeply moving.
About the Music
A World Turned Upside Down Lyrics
Oh Lord, oh my Lord
The time has come for turning
Oh Lord, take this world
Turn it upside down
The lame will walk and the deaf will talk
The time has come for turning
The blind will see and the slave be free
Turn it upside down
The rich man he will wail and moan
The time has come for turning
He’ll take the mighty from their thrones
Turn it upside down
The poor will laugh and the beggar will sing
The time has come for turning
He’ll feed the hungry with good things
Turn it upside down
Woe to the rich, woe to the free
Woe to the righteous ones who say they see
Blessed are the sufferers, to those who wail and mourn
The world is turning upside down and you can be reborn
Oh Lord, oh my Lord
The tie has come for turning
Oh Lord, take this world
And turn it upside down
About the Performer
Michael Card (b. 1957) has been writing, recording, and releasing contemporary Christian music since 1981. He has released 31 albums, written 19 #1 singles for himself and other artists, and has authored or co-authored 24 books since the ‘90s.
http://www.michaelcard.com/
About the Poet (Piece 1)
Recognized as one of the leading poets of modern Wales, R. S. Thomas writes about the harshness of the Welsh countryside, the difficulties of rural existance, and the spirituality of man. The son of a sailor, Thomas spent much of his childhood in British port towns where he and his mother would live while his father was away at sea. As a result, his early schooling was lacking. In 1936, Thomas was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church, becoming a priest a year later, at which point he began writing poetry.
About the Poet (Piece 2)
Madeleine L’Engle (1918 – 2007) was an American writer best known for young-adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels: A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. Her works reflect both her Christian faith and her strong interest in modern science. She is also an accomplished poet.