[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Sunday, December 23 2012

[Paul]

Well folks, in some parts of our world, as this is being written, it's already Christmas Eve Day.  Hope you're getting ready for Christmas and, as I think they do in Australia, a kangaroo delivers the presents.  As for me, I'm going to take an early nap as I want to stay up at least till midnight tomorrow evening because I just can't wait too see Santa Claus come down our chimney.  Oh, I almost forgot, we don't have a chimney, so he will have to knock on my front door.  In addition to the cookies and milk, I'll also leave out some food for his reindeer. Most people forget that, but I don't, as it expends a considerable amount of energy for a reindeer to fly, and eight of them at least, not to mention the wear and tear on Santa's sleigh.

But as usual at this time of year I digress.  We have four poems for your reading pleasure today.  The first is by Clay Harrison and is entitled "A Season Set Apart," rendered as follows:

This is a season set apart
For giving our gifts that warm the heart,
As we celebrate Christ's birthday
In a season set apart.

A season set apart for showing
How much we truly care,
For those we share our lives with
And miss when they're not there.

A season set apart for going
That fabled "extra mile"
To help a needy stranger
And leave him with a smile.

A season set apart for loving
All creatures great and small
In honor of the Christ Child
Who loved them one and all.

It's a season of thanksgiving
For all we have received,
For once upon a Christmas day,
He came and we believed!

And there you have that one.  Our next poem, by Shirley Hile Powell, is entitled "Peace On Earth," rendered as follows:

The night was still and silent;
It was filled with peace and love.
God, our loving Father,
Sent us His Son from Heaven above.
Angels from on high were sent
To the manger filled with hay,
Where in the arms of Mary
The holy Christ Child did lay.
As she sang her Son a lullaby
And gazed into His angelic face,
She could only marvel and wonder
At this Child so filled with grace.
May God's gift this holy Christmas
Abide in each of our hearts
And let there be peace on earth
As this holy season starts.

I'm sure those sentiments written by Sister Shirley are shared by us all.  And now comes the third, and final, poem for the day.  (Sorry folks, but I thought we had four).  Anyway it was written by Eleanor Torchia and is entitled "Behold, Our Lord is born," rendered as follows:

In a humble little stable
On a simple bed of hay,
The Son of God was born
That first Christmas day.
The Wise Men bearing gifts,
With a star to light the way,
Found the baby Jesus
In a manger where He lay.

A choir of heavenly angels
His praises they did sing:
"The Prince of Peace has come,
The One who will be King!"
They gathered to see the infant,
To honor His holy birth,
This Gift sent by the Father
Whose life would change the earth.

As shepherds tended their flocks
And bowed their heads to pray,
The sleeping Babe would grow
To take our sins away.

And there you have it for today.  By the way, some of you already know Clay Harrison.  He is none other than the undersigned.  Actually, when he started writing poetry, his publisher for whatever reason didn't like him to use his given name, so they chose the name of Clay Harrison.  Hey folks, I have nothing to hide, and if people don't like my given name, well, so be it.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul