{"id":26210,"date":"2020-10-01T08:17:58","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T12:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=26210"},"modified":"2020-10-01T08:19:55","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T12:19:55","slug":"worship-wednesday-christmas-in-october-peace-on-earth-casting-crowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=26210","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – Christmas in October – Peace on Earth – Casting Crowns"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Casting Crowns, YouTube<\/p>\n

Adapted from the Archives<\/sup><\/p>\n

[Our family begins singing\/listening to Christmas carols in October. Too many beautiful, God-glorifying songs to fit in one month. So…Christmas in October starts tomorrow…and we sure need it …Him.]<\/p>\n

\u201cSee, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in\u2014see, he is coming,\u201d says the Lord<\/span> of Armies.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

You have said, \u201cIt is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord<\/span> of Armies?\u00a0<\/span> So now we consider the arrogant to be fortunate. Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God and escape.\u201d
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At that time those who feared the Lord<\/span> spoke to one another. The Lord<\/span> took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the Lord<\/span> and had high regard for his name.\u00a0<\/span><\/em> \u201cThey will be mine,\u201d says the Lord<\/span> of Armies, \u201cmy own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.<\/em> – Malachi 3:1, 14-17<\/a><\/span>
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Then the angel said to them, \u201cDo not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/sup>And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cGlory to God in the highest, a<\/span><\/em>nd on earth peace, goodwill toward men!\u201d<\/em> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Luke 2:10-11, 13-14<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In December, 1863, American poet and scholar Henry W. Longfellow received his wounded son home from battle. It was Christmas time, and the U.S. Civil War raged on. Having already lost his wife years earlier, Longfellow nursed his son, Charley, back to health. His own thoughts, in turmoil over all that was happening around him, he poured out in the poem \u201cChristmas Bells\u201d.<\/p>\n

Longfellow clearly took comfort from God as he wrote, ending the poem with this stanza:<\/p>\n

\u201cGod is not dead, nor doth He sleep; <\/em><\/strong>
\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Wrong shall fail, <\/em><\/strong>
\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Right prevail, <\/em><\/strong>
\n \u00a0 \u00a0 With peace on earth, good-will to men.\u201d*<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I Heard the Bells <\/em>is a Christmas carol, not a worship anthem. Yet, given continuing wars and current hardships,\u00a0we must tend the fires of our hope. God is the \u201clifter of our heads\u201d (Psalm 3:3<\/a>). He is the One who\u00a0gives strength to our \u201cweak hands and shaking knees\u201d (Isaiah 35:3<\/a>). He will do as He\u2019s promised. He is faithful.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We desperately need those bells of Christmas ringing over our cities and countrysides.In fact, wouldn’t it be a lovely concert to hear church bells ringing together over the din of divisiveness right now.<\/p>\n

We, in our fleshing out the love of Christ, are the Christmas bells in our culture. May we never be the noisy gong or clanging cymbal<\/em><\/a> of those without love! May we, like Longfellow, nurse those we love, wounded in this world’s battles, back to wholeness and a living hope in Christ.<\/p>\n

When you hear the bells ring where you are, take heart in that. We will continue to pray for His peace on earth\u2026and in our own hearts.\u00a0 We can be vessels of His good-will toward our neighbors, both very near\u2026and far away.<\/p>\n

Worship with me\u2026<\/p>\n

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Lyric video)<\/a><\/p>\n

I heard the bells on Christmas day
\nTheir old familiar carols play
\nAnd mild and sweet their songs repeat
\nOf peace on earth good will to men<\/p>\n

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And the bells are ringing (Peace on Earth)
\nLike a choir they\u2019re singing (Peace on Earth)
\nIn my heart I hear them
\nPeace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

And in despair I bowed my head
\nThere is no peace on earth I said
\nFor hate is strong and mocks the song
\nOf peace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

But the bells are ringing (Peace on Earth)
\nLike a choir singing (Peace on Earth)
\nDoes anybody hear them?
\nPeace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
\nGod is not dead, nor doth He sleep (Peace on Earth, peace on Earth)
\nThe wrong shall fail, the right prevail
\nWith peace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

Then ringing singing on its way<\/p>\n

The world revolved from night to day
\nA voice, a chime, a chant sublime
\nOf peace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

And the bells they\u2019re ringing (Peace on Earth)
\nLike a choir they\u2019re singing (Peace on Earth)
\nAnd with our hearts we\u2019ll hear them
\nPeace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

Do you hear the bells they\u2019re ringing? (Peace on Earth)
\nThe life the angels singing (Peace on Earth)
\nOpen up your heart and hear them (Peace on Earth)
\nPeace on earth, good will to men<\/p>\n

Peace on earth, Peace on earth
\nPeace on earth, Good will to men*<\/p>\n