December, 2005
by Pastor Dave Speicher

There are many great and meaningful Christmas Carols, so it is difficult to choose one to be a favorite, but I would have to say that one of my favorite Christmas hymns is “Joy to the World” because of the powerful message of hope that it conveys when the songwriter, Isaac Watts, wrote:

Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room, 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!

No more let sin and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground!
He comes to make His blessings flow 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.

The Advent Season, which began Sunday, November 27th, is a time to prepare our hearts and minds to be ready to celebrate the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to be our Savior! The reason for any joy and celebration at Christmas is because the Bible says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) The first chapter of the Gospel of John reminds us, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) Praise God for the fact that Jesus came to be the light of the world and when He came, John 1:14 & 16 says, He “… came from the Father, full of grace and truth…and from the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another.” One of the greatest blessings of His coming is that, “…to all who received Him, to those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) We can sing “Joy to the World” because Jesus came to bring us God’s love, forgiveness, and righteousness. We sing “Joy to the World” because God has blessed us again and again with an incredible sense of His grace and peace and He will continue to do so as we obediently follow him daily.

I hope and pray that you will be aware of God’s joy and peace each day as you seek to honor Him during this Advent Season. Don’t miss any of the opportunities we have available for you to experience God’s blessings of grace and truth through weekly Sunday worship, the Christmas musical drama, “A Time for Christmas” on December 9, 10, & 11 at the City Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.; the Children’s Choir Christmas Musical presentation of, “A Star is Born” on Sunday, December 18th at 10:30 a.m. at our church; the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 6:00 p.m. at our church; and our very special Christmas Morning Worship Service at 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Sunday morning, December 25! I look forward to seeing you and singing with you, “Joy to the World, the Lord is come!”