Joy to the World, the Lord is Come*
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things
came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all
people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was
John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe
through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into
being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own,
and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who
believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born,
not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace
and truth.
John 1:1-14
Nativity. Birth of Jesus
GIOTTO
1304-1306
Fresco
Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel
Padua
Italy
About the Painting:
http://www.italymagazine.com/news/revolutionary-giotto-nativity-scene-inside-paduas-scrovegni-chapel
Detail
An overview of SCROVEGNI CHAPEL:
http://www.artble.com/artists/giotto_di_bondone/paintings/scrovegni_chapel_frescoes
This is Christmas: not the tinsel,
not the giving and receiving, not even the
carols,
but the humble heart that receives anew the
wondrous gift,
the Christ.
~ Frank McKibben
Love is what’s in the room with you at
Christmas
if you stop opening presents and listen.
~ Attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
Painted Toe Society Holiday Brunch
We celebrated again at Linda Bradford’s lovely home.
Bill, her cousin, is a fairly new member of Painted Toe.
Paint Your Own Toe cookies
Sue Brown had Bunco at their home Tuesday evening
and she showed us her favorite stocking.
They have an amazing collection of Christmas goodies!!!
This is just one of many, many collections and displays.
Our Wednesday Breakfast Group has been meeting lately at
Where the Books Go … owned by Kim and Scott Innocent.
They feature used and recycled merchandise, including graphic
novels (comic books).
Scott is also a chef and he and Kim open early on Wednesdays to
feed us!
Linda Walpole, Carmon Slater
Kathi and Tom LaTourrette
Bambi greeted me when I drove home on Wednesday.
He wasn’t at all shy.
In fact, he was in the same spot again the next day!
Lunch with the Golfing Girls at Abejas
Restaurant in Golden
Anna Marie Nelson, Karen Hume
Merit Hellman-Funk, Carolyn Alexander
We loved the little restaurant!
The Little Bear
Beautiful Downtown Evergreen
Written on Christmas Eve,
1513
I salute you. I am your friend, and my love for you goes deep.
There is nothing I can give
you which you have not. But there is much,
very much, that, while I
cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can
come to us unless our
hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven!
No peace lies in the future
which is not hidden in this present little instant.
Take peace! The gloom of
the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within
our reach, is joy. There is
radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see.
And to see, we have only to
look. I beseech you to look!
Life is so generous a giver. But we, judging its gifts by their covering,
cast them away as ugly or
heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you
will find beneath it a
living splendor, woven of love by wisdom, with power.
Welcome it, grasp it, and
you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.
Everything we call a trial,
a sorrow or a duty, believe me, that angel's hand is there.
The gift is there and the
wonder of an overshadowing presence. Your joys, too,
be not content with them as
joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts.
Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering,
that you will find earth
but cloaks your heaven. Courage then to claim it; that is all!
But courage you have, and
the knowledge that we are pilgrims together,
wending through unknown
country home.
And so, at this time, I
greet you, not quite as the world sends greetings,
but with profound esteem
and with the prayer that for you, now and
forever, the day breaks and
shadows flee away.
~ Fra Giovanni
*Written by Isaac Watts
“These lyrics written from a great
low point in his life were a statement of hope and faith for the present and
ALL time to come.” — Thank you, Diane Gansauer!
These lyrics written from a great low point in his life were
a statement of hope and faith for the present and ALL time to come.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In
that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their
flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great
joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a
child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
[When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.]
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the
permission of www.agnusday.org
Happy Hanukkah, 2016
December 24 - January 1
Proper I
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Proper II
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20
Proper III
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12)
John 1:1-14