A Psalms Challenge

Last June I challenged you all to read a chapter from Proverbs each day during June. A lot of you followed along and some - (Yay Phyllis!) left comments.

Now I want to try something a little more demanding - a Psalm a day for 150 days! That's almost 5 months. It will be May 29 when we reach Psalm 150! Some Psalms will require some time to read (Psalm 119) and one (Psalm 117) is only 2 verses long.

I'm going to blog - this is the really demanding part that I will have to work hard at to accomplish - every day. Don't expect something like this.

The Treasury of David - a 3 volume set of commentary on the Psalms by Charles Spurgeon.

I'm not claiming that I'll write something profound every day, (something Spurgeonesk) but I do expect each day that God will show me something - about Himself, about myself, about worship in the local church, about how to live life - whatever. I'll write at least a little something every day (that's the plan) and perhaps a lot on some days. I hope all of you will read along with me and that many of you will leave comments as to how God spoke to YOU through that day's Psalm.

We'll start tomorrow! Are you with me?



The 12 Days of Christmas

The Lady and her True Love

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
2 Turtle Doves

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me
3 French Hens

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
4 Calling Birds

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
5 Golden Rings

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
6 Geese a Laying

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
7 Swans a Swimming

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
8 Maids a Milking

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
9 Ladies Dancing

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
10 Lords a Leaping

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
11 Pipers Piping

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
12 Drummers Drumming

...

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!!

Theology in Christmas Carols

There is some fantastic theology found in Christmas Carols.

O Little Town of Bethlehem
"Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight."

"No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will recieve Him, still
The dear Christ enters in."

O Come All Ye Faithful

"Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!"

John 1: ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. ⁵ The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
 ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (This one is just incredible)

"Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"

""Christ, by highest heav'n adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a Virgin's womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel."

"Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
(Malachi 4:2
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.)
Mild, He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth."

WOW!

Pre-Tree Music

A very enjoyable part of "the Tree" is the thirty minutes before when we get to hear some of our soloists and ensembles singing "pre-tree" music. Here's the schedule for this year's "pre-tree.

Click on the schedule to see a larger view.