Men overlooked a baby’s birth
When love unnoticed came to earth
And later, seeking in the skies,
Passed by a man in workman’s guise.
And only children paused to stare
While God Incarnate made a chair.
–Mary Tatlow
#MerryChristmas from the Barber. Here's our Christmas present to you – Bassano's 'The Adoration of the Magi' c1560s pic.twitter.com/HdHNNMZUVR
— The Barber Institute (@BarberInstitute) December 25, 2015
O God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who livest and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Guten Morgen ☕️🌟wünsche euch ein frohes Weihnachtsfest 🎶🎄
🌟 Die Hand, die die Wiege bewegt, bewegt die Welt. 🌟
Gertrud von Le fort pic.twitter.com/vVq7Mtjsml— Renate Kleine (@RenateKleine) December 24, 2022
Watch it all.
Most worthy art Thou, O good and gracious God, of all praise, even for Thine own sake which exceedeth all things in holiness. By Thee only we are hallowed and made holy. As our duty continually bids us, we praise Thee for our glorious redemption, purchased for us in Thy dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Give us therefore the Holy Spirit to govern us. And grant that all things that breathe with life may praise Thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever.
–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)
❤️🤍💚 Biarritz
Veronique Derouet 12/2022#biarritz #pyreneesatlantiques #autumn #paysbasque #basquecountry #ocean #atlanticocean @ThePhotoHour @StormHour pic.twitter.com/pWUwuPppky— Veronique Derouet (@vederouet) December 23, 2022
Advent is a time of preparation and waiting. It’s a time when we prepare to celebrate that world changing moment when Jesus Christ, God Himself burst into human history.
And that gave birth to a new era in history. One where we look forward to the completion of a kingdom of truth and justice and peace and light – God’s Kingdom raining on earth when Jesus returns.
We all need this message, we all need to prepare. And we all need it especially at a time when round the world so many are caught up in devastation and war and poverty and struggle. And that’s why this evening we think of Ukraine.
As the Russian invasion continues and the chaos and the evil that has been released – all the forces of hell – are visited on that courageous people.
Recently, Bishop Robert and I and some others visited the Anglican community there, as well as Christians from other churches. It was a tiny gesture of solidarity with a suffering yet courageous people.
It was about saying to them, you’re not forgotten. We pray for you. We support you. We stand with you, we’ll advocate for you.
On my recent trip to Ukraine I saw the devastating impact of the invasion – and the courage of its people. Join with Christians from across Europe for an Advent prayer service for peace in Ukraine, hosted at 5.30pm this evening by the @DioceseinEuropehttps://t.co/LvOs0G3bmU pic.twitter.com/4q45Kmd6ui
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 21, 2022
O God, who didst promise that thy glory should be revealed, and that all flesh should see it together: Stir up our hearts, we beseech thee, to prepare the way of thine only begotten Son; and pour out upon us thy loving kindness, that we who are afflicted by reason of our sins may be refreshed by the coming of our Saviour, and may behold his glory; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth one God, world without end.
Beautiful 🧡🏔️ pic.twitter.com/fj3tPjde7p
— Aleksandar Mitrovic (@Aleksan52094351) December 22, 2022
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the solemn feast of our redemption which is near at hand, may help us both in this present life, and further us towards the attaining of thine eternal joy in that which is to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Prayers for the Christian Year (SCM, 1964)
Starting our first day of winter with this Atlantic ocean sunrise. Nauset beach, Orleans, Cape Cod. #sunrise #capecod #StormHour pic.twitter.com/k9Ef4ixFm7
— Darius Aniunas (@dariusaniunas) December 21, 2022
The cost-of-living crisis is driving more parents and carers to resort to borrowing to get by, new research from the Children’s Society suggests.
In a survey of 2000 parents and carers of children under 18 in the UK, carried out in November and published on Monday, most respondents (86 per cent) reported being under financial strain.
Asked how well their household had been managing financially over the past three months, one third (34 per cent) said that they were “just about” getting by, 21 per cent said that they were finding finances “quite difficult”, while 12 per cent said that they were finding it “very difficult”.
The Children’s Society explains in a statement: “We considered those that said they found it quite or very difficult to manage financially during the last three months to be in financial strain; 33 per cent of those that responded indicated they were in financial strain.”
Increasing numbers of parents now borrowing to get by, Children’s Society survey finds https://t.co/VUAkVAZFc2
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 20, 2022
Almighty Father, whose blessed Son at his coming amongst us brought redemption unto his people, and peace to men of goodwill: Grant that, when he shall come again in glory to judge the world and to make all things new, we may be found ready to receive him, and enter into his joy; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ.
Another #Christmas card scene for your photo today, with the first golden light of a frosty winter's day over Widecombe in the Moor, #Dartmoor…
Shot notes: 1-125 sec at f – 2.8 ISO 100 #tuesdayvibe #ThePhotoHour #StormHour #festiveseason pic.twitter.com/QT4gTXOvPJ
— Gary Holpin | Photography (@GaryHolpin) December 20, 2022
Lord God Almighty, King of glory and love eternal, worthy art thou at all times to receive adoration, praise, and blessing; but especially at this time do we praise thee for the sending of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, for whom our hearts do wait, and to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, be honour and dominion, now and for ever.
–Prayers for the Christian Year (SCM, 1964)
"Impressionistic Lake View"#AlmostHeaven #WestVirginia #Highlands #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/nAb86NpsLF
— Thomas R Fletcher (@ThomasRFletcher) December 19, 2022
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.
@churchofengland This is to give good notice that on Sunday #18thDecember we have #Advent4 10h30 Parish Mass at #StEdmund #downhammarket and 11h00 #CarolService at #StMary’s #stradsett, #norfolk.
All welcome! pic.twitter.com/HcoeOr4y3M— Fr.James Mather FRSA #StandWithUkraine #LoveENO (@tigerrector) November 22, 2022
Heavenly Father, grant us by your Spirit to know how it is full time now for us to wake from sleep, that we may cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; give us grace to conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, that when our Lord Jesus Christ comes in glory we may without shame our fear rejoice to behold his appearing. KSH
Saturday morning #StormHour #Scotland #Aberdeenshire #Deepfreeze #WINTER pic.twitter.com/eYPByhEpRb
— (@greg_phtb) December 17, 2022
O Almighty Father, fountain of light and salvation, we adore thine infinite goodness in sending thy only begotten Son into the world that, believing in him, we may not perish but have everlasting life; and we pray thee that, through the grace of his first advent to save the world, we may be made ready to meet him at his second advent to judge the world; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
A view overlooking the Radcliffe Camera and University Church from Oriel's Island Site on a frosty morning❄️ pic.twitter.com/PFRLnnTilX
— Oriel College (@OrielOxford) December 16, 2022
O Christ our God, who wilt come to judge the world in the manhood which thou hast assumed: We pray thee to sanctify us wholly, that in the day of thy coming we may be raised up to live and reign with thee for ever.
Bridging the gap- Ballachulish bridge crossing the narrows at Loch Leven-have a great day, friends #ScotlandisNow #StormHour #photography #photooftheday #landscape #OutAndAboutScotland #landscapephotography @VisitScotland @ScotsMagazine #friends #PhotoHour #stvsnaps #beautiful pic.twitter.com/7ELaCf46zW
— Mike Wood (@MikeMikwd) December 15, 2022
O Lord our God, in whose hands is the issue of all things, and who requirest from thy stewards not success but faithfulness: Give us such faith in thee and in thy sure purposes, that we measure not our lives by what we have done or failed to do, but by our obedience to thy holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)
The day started at -4℃ and is slowly climbing to -1℃! Beautiful winter sunshine illuminating Lincoln Cathedral this morning 🙂
❄️Lincoln UK – 14th Dec 2022❄️@ThePhotoHour @StormHour @bbcweather
#WinterWonderland #Lincolnshire pic.twitter.com/FYQschsLDB— The Creative Photographer (@Cloudwatcher32) December 14, 2022
O God, who didst send thy messengers and prophets to prepare the way of thy Son before him: Grant that our Lord when he cometh may find in us a dwelling prepared for himself; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who came to take our nature upon him that he might bring many sons unto glory, and now with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end.
–A New Prayer Book (London: Oxford University Press 1923)
"December Country Road"#Snow #AlmostHeaven #WestVirginia #Highlands #SnowHour #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/GfmiXvyuK9
— Thomas R Fletcher (@ThomasRFletcher) December 13, 2022
O Lord Jesus Christ, before whose judgment-seat we must all appear and give account of the things done in the body: Grant, we beseech thee, that when the books are opened in that day, the faces of thy servants may not be ashamed; through thy merits, O blessed Saviour, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
O Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise make ready your way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient toward the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world, we may be found a people acceptable in your sight; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Morning all! Well it has been such a pleasure and a privilege to be back out, trusty camera in hand, enjoying the recent frosty sunrises in my local park with these beautiful creatures.🦌☀️🥰
Wishing you all a very happy Sunday.🤗@HRP_palaces @SallyWeather @StormHour #sunrise pic.twitter.com/m70WHHvOyO
— Scot Down South (@LesleyAM13) December 11, 2022
O Thou, Who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and on Whom the eyes of all do wait, Who crownest the year with Thy goodness, and openest Thine hand and finest all things living with plenteousness: every day we give thanks unto Thee, and praise Thy Name for ever and ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)
Finally on my week of photos from the #LakeDistrict is a simply perfect winter's morning on Derwent Water – with fog and perfect mirrors reflections. All I could say when I arrived was WOW!
Notes: 1.3 sec at f – 11 ISO 50 #thursdaymorning #ThePhotoHour #Keswick #Cumbria pic.twitter.com/OQnCuJUOHU
— Gary Holpin | Photography (@GaryHolpin) December 8, 2022
From the fourth century onward, hope for the coming judgment of Christ was embedded in the shape of the season. Advent hope is preeminently about hope for the return of Jesus. Even now, in the Advent liturgies of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox churches, the prayers and Scripture readings have a laser-like focus on the judgment of Christ that is to come.
This message doesn’t align with the affected excitement and coziness of secular Advent or Christmas. Who’s to blame for that? By no means do I want to minimize the role that commercialization has played in undermining the sober character of the season. But I think the greater culprit—in addition to the sheer forgetfulness of tradition that plagues Western Christians—is a loss of confidence that the final judgment of Christ is actually good news and therefore something for believers to look forward to.
The people known for enthusiastically preaching the return of Christ in judgment are generally known for being angry and antagonistic toward those they regard as heretics and nonbelievers. Among “missional” pastors who are culture affirming, devoted to social justice, and committed to creation care, I can count on one hand the number of sermons I’ve heard about how the judgment of Jesus is good news.
As I told my students recently: the judgment of God, rightly understood, is good news.
"I think the greater culprit…is a loss of confidence that the final judgment of Christ is actually good news and therefore something for believers to look forward to."https://t.co/Chu1ndD3Oc
— W. David O. Taylor (@wdavidotaylor) December 7, 2022
Almighty and most merciful God, who has given the Bible to be the revelation of thy great love to man, and of thy power and will to save him: Grant that our study of it may not be made vain by the callousness or the carelessness of our hearts, but that by it we may be confirmed in penitence, lifted to hope, made strong for service, and, above all, filled with true knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ.
There is solace
in mountains
or under canopy of trees
their steadfastness
is for all~📷 Pierre Pellegrini pic.twitter.com/I3SOdQOHh0
— Joyce (@joycebudenberg) December 7, 2022
Almighty God, who in many and various ways didst speak to thy chosen people by the prophets, and hast given us, in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the hope of Israel: Hasten, we beseech thee, the coming of the day when all things shall be subject to him, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.
today’s sunrise 🌅
Nauset beach, Cape Cod. pic.twitter.com/OVXVvcOxX6
— Darius Aniunas (@dariusaniunas) December 6, 2022
O Gracious God and most merciful Father, who has vouchsafed us the rich and precious jewel of thy holy Word: Assist us with thy Spirit that it may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to thine own image, to build us up into the perfect building of thy Christ, and to increase us in all heavenly virtues. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the same Jesus Christ’s sake.
What do you know about the heritage of the Geneva Bible? Read this guest blog post by Jonathan Edwards to learn more: https://t.co/7UFa06K1DL pic.twitter.com/M6J534OFJC
— Christian History Magazine (@ChristiaHistory) December 3, 2022
Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Guten Morgen ☕️💕 wünsche allen einen besinnlichen
2. Adventssonntag 🌟🌲🌟 pic.twitter.com/UMvzAYMWhc— Renate Kleine (@RenateKleine) December 4, 2022
Help us, O Christ, to seek your truth and bear it; to learn your truth and love it, to tell your truth and live it, and to defend your truth and die in it. Amen.
Cornish Coast pic.twitter.com/K6TOORDVGS
— Veritatis Cupitor (@English1Maiden) December 3, 2022
O great and glorious God, holy and immortal, who searches out the policies of nations and tries the hearts of men: Come, we pray thee, in judgment, upon the nations of the world; come and bring to destruction all that is contrary to thy holy will for mankind, and cause the counsels of the wicked to perish. Come, O Lord, into our hearts, and root out from them that thou seest, and we cannot see, to be unlike the Spirit of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth, in a serious seeking after thee, and in an affectionate walking with thee, every day of our lives; that when thou comest, we may be found not hiding our talent, nor serving the flesh, nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished, but waiting and longing for our Lord, our glorious God for ever and ever.
Well hello December, you can carry on like this. Which direction to look was a problem today on Glastonbury Tor as the mists flowed across the Somerset levels and town. pic.twitter.com/1XV5ac0zyj
— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) December 1, 2022
O thou, who hast foretold that thou wilt return to judgment in an hour that we are not aware of, grant us grace to watch and pray always, that whether thou shalt come at even, or at midnight, or in the morning, we may be found among the number of those servants who shall be blessed in watching for their Lord, to whom be all glory now and for evermore.
We're sticking with #Dartmoor today, with a beautiful reflection of the autumn colours at Burrator Reservoir….
Notes: 3.0 sec at f – 19 ISO 100 #WednesdayMotivation #AutumnVibes #ThePhotoHour #StormHour pic.twitter.com/ZAckCM3Tbe
— Gary Holpin | Photography (@GaryHolpin) November 30, 2022