This is the email i sent to our district advisory board members on Christmas Day as the sun was setting. Thought by sharing the message here, it might help you as well:
Christmas Day 2022, 5:15 pm
Dearest DAB Brothers and Sisters:
As Christmas Day comes to a close for another year, I wanted to share with you two ideas that are beautifully on my mind:
Idea #1: The recent Holy Day movie produced by Sight and Sound titled “I Heard the Bells” — written initially as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — was a very inspiring part of our Advent season. Of course his written words also became a beloved Christmas Carol. I just wanted to share afresh and anew a portion of the lyrics as we give worship to God on this sacred day that He first gave to us His Son:
“I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth, ' I said
'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.'
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Idea #2: The Lord is so faithful at the end of each year to give me new words of focus for the new year up ahead. Last year the words for 2022 were “With Gladness!” The words given this week for 2023 are “LIVE ANTICIPATING! This verse deeply reinforces the two words:
“Make yourselves acceptable to worship the Lord, because He is going to do some amazing things for us.” Joshua 3:5 CEV
Even though Christmas Day is coming to an end, let the work of Christmas begin afresh and anew in and within our lives.
Let us together, LIVE ANTICIPATING!
Pastor Kerry Willis
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