Let Our Gladness Have No End, ELW 291
Let our gladness have no end, Hallelujah!
for to earth did Christ descend. Hallelujah!
On this day God gave us Christ, the Son, to save us;
Christ, the Son, to save us.
Prophesied in days of old, Hallelujah!
God has sent the one foretold. Hallelujah!
On this day God gave us Christ, the Son, to save us;
Christ, the Son, to save us.
See the loveliest blooming rose, Hallelujah!
from the branch of Jesse grows. Hallelujah!
On this day God gave us Christ, the Son, to save us;
Christ, the Son, to save us.
Into flesh is made the Word, Hallelujah!
our true refuge and our Lord. Hallelujah!
On this day God gave us Christ, the Son, to save us;
Christ, the Son, to save us.
Devotion
The 2010 Christmas season is drawing to an end. Perhaps at your house the tree is taken down and decorations are being put away. The last of the leftovers in the fridge and the cookie tins are getting cleaned out. Tomorrow kids will be back to school and the workday routine will return. You may even be breathing a little sigh of relief. (You’re not the only one.)
Yet Christmas isn't meant to be a season, a time of life that distracts us for awhile and then slips away until next year. It's a way of life. That Christ came into our world and still lives with us is cause for never-ending wonder and praise.
What if as you set about your daily routine tomorrow you kept Christmas’ spirit of unending gladness, unceasing generosity, unhindered compassion, and unfettered love? How might that change the way you live out and share your faith?
Prayer
Holy Jesus, may I carry your Christmas joy and spirit of peace in my heart throughout the year. Amen.