Empty
Written by Rev. Chris Paavola Empty isn’t usually a word we associate with good things. Like when the gas tank is empty, or when the bank account is empty, or when my kids put an empty cereal box back in the cabinet. (I don’t know why they do that.) Christians, however, have historically used a […]
Hosanna, Hallelujah! Jesus, Coming Light, Draw Near: A Christmas Devotion by Shelly Schwalm
Hosanna, Hallelujah! Jesus, Coming Light, draw near. Early winter mornings are brutal, aren’t they? When I’m out of bed earlier than I’d like on a dark, 4-degree Minnesota morning, the dawn seems to drag its feet worse than I do and weighs differently. The people of the Bible were very acquainted with darkness. Darkness concealed […]
Where Shepherds Lately Knelt: A Reflection by Pat Leege
As an organist, I find it hard to choose any one Advent or Christmas hymn as a favorite. I have many favorites. One of the more contemporary hymns that unite Advent and Christmas is Where Shepherds Lately Knelt, text by Jaroslav Vajda, sung to the tune Manager Song by Carl Schalk. This song has a […]
Hark The Herald Angels Sing: A Reflection by Bob Unger
There are so many Christmas Carols that I have come to love – those from the rich tradition of our hymnals; those from the traditions of other Christian denominations; all the carols I have rehearsed for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, and Christmas Concerts, as the Director of the Appleton Boychoir, the Badger […]
From Heaven Above to Earth I Come: A Reflection by Kevin Hildebrand
As the church reflects on this past year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation, a fitting way to sing the Christmas story is Martin Luther’s own “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.” It’s always remarkable when a song that was written nearly five centuries ago is still used and loved. One of the reasons […]