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Category Archives: Holidays

Sermon – December 2, 2012

Advent Sermon Series ~ Journeying to Bethlehem

Each Christmas is a journey! We make it from wherever we are to the manger. Mary and Joseph journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem on the First Christmas. What will our journey be like? Are there helps along the way? How do we really prepare to receive the King? Let’s see how we might journey together so that this Christmas we find the true reason for the season — the child Jesus!

Dec. 2 Sermon – Mary of Nazareth: Journey of Faith – Luke 1:26-38

Christmas is about miracles, love, giving, family, friends, presents. But the first Christmas didn’t have any of these but a miracle and love. For Mary, Christmas was a surprise that required of her a lot of FAITH. How many of us would believe an angel? How could we even know what an angel is and looks like? And the message, a virgin will birth a baby? Now that does take FAITH! Let’s learn from Mary about how FAITH is needed and helps to bring about a holy Christmas for each of us.

This sermon is now available on the Pender Sermon Podcast series and on the home page of PenderUMC.org

Christmas Music, Part 4 – I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day

04 Dec

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells” by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song tells of the narrator’s despair, upon hearing Christmas bells, that “hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men”. The carol concludes with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among mankind.

This version is done by Casting Crowns. I chose it because the Pender choir sang this on Christmas Eve with past-Associate Pastor Dan Elmore singing the solo…and I fell in love with this version.

As seen on 2008 TBN Christmas special. “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” is available on Casting Crowns’ Christmas album, Peace On Earth.

More traditionally, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s version:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”