No Room

And brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

While there is some question as to what an inn might have been in ancient Bethlehem there is no doubt that it was a place where they could stay. The urgent need of Mary to give birth was less urgent than the needs of others on that night.

Not much has changed in our 21st century world of push and hurry. Everyone seems to have an immediate demand for time attention and most importantly, money. But in the storm of wishes and wants it seems that even in His own church there is often no room for his birth. We are so involved in a thousand activities that quiet safety for newborn faith is turned out in the cold.

Thank God for his plan to call shepherds angels and strange Wiseman to we welcome God’s Son to Bethlehem.

Compared to the wonderful preparations of the Father the inn can be a cold and lonely place. Let’s go out to the barn, listen to Angel choirs and kneel beside the Magi and worship Christ the Lord!

Angels We Have Heard on High

In 1855 when this hymn was first written in France my great-great grandfather (a rare French protestant) was making his way from Alsace-Lorraine to Patterson, New Jersey. I still have in my upper drawer a very old and undated French Bible handed down from the family. It has always been amazing to me how Hymns (and the Christmas ones we call Carols in particular) have preserved the inheritance of faith from all around the world. I always love playing this carol for our youth to sing in our Christmas program. It is a great opening number as it gets people tapping their feet and almost everyone joins in on the chorus. As I have often said, “The best song to sing is the one they will sing with you!” May you be blessed as you begin to turn your heart, schedule mind and pocketbook towards Christmas!

One Winter in the Barn

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn

I remember dark winter mornings in the barn. There the pitch black of the milking stall gave way to the gentle light of a candle stub placed on the beam. The aroma of the hay mixed together with the pungent smell of our Guernsey cow at close quarters. I can still see our cat Kansas City waiting for her small share of milk. The cow snuffed up the dairy mix of ground corn allowing me to do my work and I remember that our Lord came in such a humble place. Though being in God’s form with power, riches and honor He willingly chose to come to Bethlehem’s barn. We do not know for sure that it was winter, yet that night was still surely cold. Cows and sheep, chicken and donkeys haven’t updated since his birth. All was still in that place as the animals slept till the baby cried, the shepherds came and bowed down together with angels to worship Him.

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