I've had an Epiphany!

Christ In Our Home Devotions Christmas Day The Word became flesh 1. Make the sign of the cross over yourself and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Pray Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer: I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. 3. Pray the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallow...

Artwork: O Antiphons Worship Theme: God will come to save his people, just as he promised. He saves them through the virgin born Son of David who is also the Son of God, Immanuel. The Church prays for God to come in power to take away the burden of our sins. Since the Garden, there has been only one promised plan to do that: God would take on flesh and blood. Immanuel comes—God in the flesh—exactly as promised to save his people. The use of the Great O Antiphons on this Sunday as we sing all eight stanzas of “O, Come, O, Come, Emmanuel” highlights God’s promises kept by invoking an Old Testament title for Christ and anticipating the promise kept by the Christ-child.  Old Testament:   Isaiah 7:1-17 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. 2 Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephrai...

Isaiah 35:1-10 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,  2  it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the  Lord , the splendor of our God. 3  Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4  say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6  Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7  The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once l...

Christ In Our Home Devotions Fourth Sunday in Advent God will come to save 1. Make the sign of the cross over yourself and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Pray Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer: I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. 3. Pray the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in he...

“Joy to the World” is one of the most popular of all Christmas carols. In fact, according to a survey on  Hymnary.org , it is the most published Christmas hymn of all time. “Joy to the World” is synonymous with Christmas, but it wasn’t meant to be. If you look closely at the hymn, there is no mention of shepherds, angelic choruses or wise men. There is no mention of Bethlehem, Mary, or even the Baby Jesus. That’s because Isaac Watts, the author of this hymn, based the stanzas on Psalm 98, not on the Christmas narrative in Luke 2. Isaac Watts is one of the most prolific of all Christian hymn writers. He has written over 750 hymns published in numerous hymnals throughout Christendom. That’s why he is commonly referred to as “The Father of Hymns.” Watts was an Englishman who lived from 1674 to 1748. During the 18 th  century, only Psalms were allowed to be sung in the Church of England. So, Watts created most of his hymns as Psalms metrically set to music. “Joy to t...