2021 December
Out in the Wilderness
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/1/21
Out in the wilderness, a voice cries out,
Calling all people, “repent, turnabout.”
The time is coming, the Messiah is near!
Time to get ready for Christ to appear.
Valleys are lifted, mountains are brought low,
Rough crooked places, make them be just so.
It's not just momentous earth-moving parts,
But transforming of our self-centered hearts.
Listen again to the voice calling you,
It's time to get done all that we must do.
Those who have two coats
should give one away,
And those who have food
should share it today.
As we get ready and Advent
begins,
We come before God
confessing our sins.
Our lives are renewed as
we change our ways,
We now live for Christ whom
we follow always.
When It’s Silent Day or
Night
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/2/21
When it's silent, day or night,
We're drawn to you, God of Might,
That we might meet face to face,
In this very quiet place.
When it's noisy all around,
And our ears are filled with sound,
May we listen for your voice,
Selective hearing is a choice.
When our days are hard and long,
Help us listen for your song,
Calling us to stop and pray,
Helping us throughout the day.
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/3/21
A simple act of kindness,
To someone who is in need,
Can surely help remind us,
How to follow Jesus’ lead.
We remember the stories,
Of how Christ lived here on earth,
Revealing heaven's glories,
In God's eyes we all have worth.
Jesus healed the sick and blind,
Offering himself to all.
Do something that's just as kind,
Lift up someone feeling small.
Lord, Help Me to Be
Faithful
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/3/21
Lord, help me to be faithful,
And to always follow you.
With you I’m ever hopeful,
That you will see me through.
In all of life's trials and
Tribulations you are there.
All troubles I can withstand,
As you answer every prayer.
Be with me throughout this day,
And every sin I face.
This request to you I pray,
By you I'm saved by grace.
That Night Jesus Broke
the Bread
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/4/21
That night Jesus broke the bread,
And with the cup shared a decree.
To the disciples he then said,
“When you do this remember Me.”
That night Jesus sang a
hymn,
With those with whom he'd
eaten.
At the meal they were
with him,
But alone he'd be whipped
and beaten.
For in the garden they
fell asleep,
They could not watch and
pray.
Prayer support they could
not keep,
When it got tough they
ran away.
Jesus was tried and
crucified,
His body broken like the
bread.
His blood spilled out as
he died,
Remember what he did and
said!
We Are Blessed by God
Above
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/6/21
We are blessed by God above,
With gifts of mercy, faith, and love,
In times of darkness and fears at night,
God shines a beacon of hope and light.
When at wits end, unsure what to do,
God is there to help us through.
Sometimes a stranger becomes a friend,
When we're in need a hand’s there to lend.
God reaches out with a gentle touch,
Letting us know God loves us so much.
When we're embraced in God's loving arms,
Blessing us as our broken heart warms.
Love Your Neighbor As
Yourself (Luke 3)
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/7/21
Love your neighbor as
yourself,
The great commandment
says.
Do not store up on a
shelf,
Pleasing your own senses.
John called us to give
away,
Half of our possessions.
We've not done this we
must say,
As one of our
confessions.
Now is the time to
repent,
And to truly change our
ways,
To follow Christ whom God
has sent,
To be our guide always.
Christ has shown us how
to live,
He gave his life for us.
Showing us how we might
give,
Our lives to follow
Jesus.
In the Seasons in
Between
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/8/21
In the seasons in
between,
We find it hard to wait,
But we find we are often
here,
Standing at the gate.
We have been where we
have been,
Been there and done that too,
But we await what comes
next,
What is not yet in view.
Be with us, Lord, is our
prayer,
As we wait here
patiently.
Lead us, Lord, as we move
toward,
What's next in our
journey.
With you we have come so
far,
But we are not yet there.
Guide us now to use this
time,
And help us to prepare.
While We Watch and While
We Wait
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/9/21
While we watch and while
we wait,
For the Lord to come,
We can all anticipate,
The coming outcome.
When this time that we
know ends,
And the Lord returns,
The status quo the Lord
upends,
Truth the world then
learns.
All that's wrong will be
set right,
The hungry will be fed,
The blind will be given
their sight,
As the Lord has said.
But till that time
there's much to do,
To help those now in
need,
And help them watch for
Christ, too,
For Christ to come
indeed!
On the Road to Bethlehem
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/10/21
On the road to Bethlehem,
Mary and Joseph trod,
Responding to Caesar's
decree,
And the will of God.
At the right time and
right place,
The Christ was to be born,
The prophet Micah had
declared,
In ancient times forlorn.
Hope would come to all
who watched,
And waited for that day.
Mary and Joseph walked
with faith,
Showing us the way.
When challenges arise for
us,
Do what you must do.
As God guided their journey,
God will see us through.
Angels Have Come Down
Among Us
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/11/21
Angels have come down
among us,
To the shepherds they did
sing,
Proclaiming the birth of
Jesus,
So began Christmas
caroling.
Refrain:
Come and worship, come
and worship,
Worship Christ, the
newborn king.
Now we sing to share the
story,
To remind us of that
night.
Sing and tell of God's great
glory,
Sing it out with all your
might.
Refrain:
There are some who still
have not heard,
The world for them is
still dark.
No one has shared with them
the word.
Sing the carol. Be the
spark.
Refrain:
Let your light shine
everywhere,
That they’ll know of
God's great love.
Be an Angel. God’s Good News
share,
God sent Jesus from
above.
Refrain:
What Do We Understand
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/12/21
What do we understand?
And what do we believe?
What really happened,
On that first Christmas
Eve?
The earth was divided,
Between the rich and poor,
But all would be united,
This babe all would adore.
There would be shepherds
there,
And wise ones from a
ways.
They all would come to
where,
Jesus they could praise.
In a quiet stable,
In old Bethlehem,
There the Lord was able,
To be with us and them.
High and low places meet,
When the Lord descends,
The world becomes
complete,
And all division ends.
In the Beginning God’s
Word Was Heard
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/13/21
In the beginning God's Word
was heard,
It brought the first day’s
Light.
Creation started with the
Word,
Resounding God's delight.
As good as it was that
first day,
And that week of
creation.
In Bethlehem on Christ’s
birthday,
God's Light gave us
salvation.
Into a world of sin and
pain,
A babe was born divine,
And in the darkness once
again,
God's holy Light did shine.
We celebrate Jesus’
birth.
By it we all are blessed.
Defining our divine
worth,
God gave to us the best.
Joseph Wrestled in the
Night
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/14/21
Joseph wrestled in the
night,
Agonizing what to do.
How could all this be
made right?
How he wished that he
knew.
His first reaction was
divorce,
And to let Mary go.
But in the night there
was remorse,
Filled with grief and woe.
Then to him and angel
came,
To share with him God's
word.
Mother and child he was
to claim,
He’d do all he had heard.
When will you wrestle in
the night,
Unsure of what to do,
Allow God to shed some
light,
As angels speak to you.
At Mary’s Voice the Baby
Leapt
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/15/21
At Mary's voice the baby
leapt,
A joyous time of
greeting.
Tears of joy the women
wept,
At their sons’ first
meeting.
Like Mary we are welcomed
by,
Those who love us dear,
And with joy we also cry,
Or simply shed a tear.
No matter where we might
roam,
Or if we're lost
somewhere,
Jesus will find and bring
us home,
Into his loving care.
Keep an eye out for those
who,
Have not been home for
years.
Welcome them home and
rejoice too,
With love and many tears.
Listen for the Angel
Chorus
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/16/21
Listen for the angel
chorus,
Singing the Lords Good News
for us.
It may thunder for all to
hear,
It may fall gently on
your ear.
What do you hear the
angels say,
That you may do for God
today?
Do not just a listener
be,
But I doer dutifully.
When needed God sends
angels near,
That their message you
may hear.
God has a word for you
today.
Listen! What's God trying
to say?
As Days Grow Short
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/17/21
As days grow short and
nights grow long,
We sing to God a birthing
song.
Light and life come down
to us,
By the birth of the Lord
Jesus.
From the dead of winter's
night,
God shines on us eternal
light.
And thus begins a brand-new
day,
This child for us will be
the Way.
By this new life, with
this child’s birth,
God brings new life to
all the earth,
And our faith’s journey
does begin,
For God's grace overcomes
sin.
God So Loved the World
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/18/21
God so loved the world,
That God sent us Jesus,
And so, we celebrate,
The Good News of
Christmas.
It would have been
enough,
But God created us,
But God loved us so much,
To send to us Jesus.
We celebrate his birth,
This Word that was made
flesh.
We behold God's love,
In a humble crèche.
We should so love the
world,
That we should share
Jesus,
That everyone might know,
The meaning of Christmas.
To a World in Darkness
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/19/21
To a world in darkness,
The light of Christmas
came.
Now the world would be
changed,
And never be the same.
There would be love and
grace,
And forgiveness of sin.
The world became a
different place,
When the Lord entered in.
There was joy in the
world,
Sung by an angel's voice.
The Messiah has been
born,
Let all the world rejoice!
In Our Mind’s Eye and
Ear
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/20/21
In our mind’s eye and
ear,
What do we see and hear?
Just what we do we
believe,
Of that first Christmas
Eve?
We see a stable stark and
bare,
Surely animals were
there.
Animal noises would have
been,
Around the baby born within.
Shepherds out among the
sheep,
Quieting them make not a
peep.
Then angels come their
voices raised,
A child is born and must
be praised!
A flock of shepherds come
to town,
For the child they look
around.
When they find the family,
They shared Good News joyously.
It was not a silent
night,
It was quite a sound and
sight.
It still is for us today,
Of Christ’s birth what do
you say?
The Angel Told the News
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/21/21
The angel told the news,
To shepherds on the hill.
The Messiah was born,
The scriptures to
fulfill.
They came to Bethlehem,
Searching here and there,
For the child who had
come,
To save all everywhere.
Finally with great joy,
They came to the right
place,
And found God's love
revealed,
In the baby's smiling
face.
This Christmas we too
seek,
To be in the right place,
That we might feel and know,
The wonder of God's
grace.
Jesus Grew in Wisdom and
Years (Luke 2)
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/21/21
According to the
scriptures,
Jesus grew in wisdom and
years,
Perhaps just like we all
do,
With laughter and with
tears.
We each have had the best
of times,
And those darkest times also.
They help us life’s
lessons learn,
As in wisdom we do grow.
What have you learned in
this past year,
About yourself, your
faith, and life,
And about those closest
to you,
Parents, children,
husband, and wife?
What have you learned
about the world,
Those with whom you can't
see eye to eye?
Have you learned to love
all your neighbors?
Have you learned to
really try?
In this new year may we all
grow,
Learning how to do God's
will.
That as we grow from year
to year,
We know God is with us
still.
Angels Came to Share Good News
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/22/21
Angels came to share Good
News,
Listen to all that they
said.
Mary was blessed among
the Jews,
Joseph dreamed upon his
bed.
Joseph's dilemma was
solved,
He knew what he had to
do.
To marry Mary he was
resolved,
He'd help raise God's
child too.
Shepherds out upon the
hills,
Add angels come and sing
to them.
God's promises God
fulfills,
Go and see in Bethlehem.
Angels come to speak to
us,
Listen to what all they
say.
They share Good News of
Jesus,
Seek to follow him today.
Some Believe in
Christmas
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/23/21
Some believe in Christmas,
Or in Christmas Eve,
Like it's only one day,
Is what many believe.
But if Christ is present,
Each day then let us
start,
To celebrate Christmas.
With a grateful heart.
For all Christ has done,
And does each and every
day,
Share Christ and
Christmas,
By what you do and say.
Instead of celebrating,
Christmas for just twelve
days,
Try it for twelve months,
All days and always.
Angels Tell the Story
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/24/21
Angels tell the story,
of that day long ago.
They sang to the
shepherds,
out on a hill below.
They brought Good News
from God,
to people half asleep.
Born to them in Bethlehem,
a Good Shepherd for all
the sheep.
Those who had been
tending,
the flocks both night and
day,
would themselves be
tended to,
by a Savior born today.
Down to the quiet
village,
in the darkness of the
night,
they found the child and
rejoiced,
God brought to earth
God's Light.
Preparations Are All
Done
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/25/21
Preparations are all
done,
Christmas Day is here,
Share it with everyone,
This best day of the
year.
Exchange the gifts and
presents,
Wrapped and under the
tree.
The best gift is your
presence,
Right where you ought to
be.
On this Christmas Day,
Share laughter and shed
tears.
Make memories today,
To last down through the
years.
With Packages All Opened
before Us
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/26/21
With packages all opened
before us,
Wrapping paper littering
the floor,
Do we still feel the joy
of Christmas,
As we did just the night
before?
For there was great
anticipation,
About the gifts beneath
the tree,
What present might be in
each one?
We could hardly wait to
see.
So here they are the
great and small,
Some wanted, some not so
much,
But we've received quite
a haul,
By it all we have been
touched.
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/27/21
What do you follow?
What directs your way?
Wise Ones had a star,
It shown night and day.
For them this new star,
Had a great meaning,
And so, they followed,
A new king seeking.
Scriptures can reveal,
How others obeyed,
And followed God's word,
And on the path stayed.
Prayer is the way,
With God we can talk.
Don't talk so much, let,
God talk and you walk.
Today look for signs,
That show you the way.
Follow as Jesus,
Directs you this day.
For Some Christmas Comes
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/28/21
For some Christmas comes,
Around just once a year,
But for us believers,
Who celebrate Christ’s
here,
Refrain:
Every day is Christmas,
For everyday Christ’s
near.
For some it's all about,
The Christmas presents,
But for us it's about,
Living in Christ’s
presence.
Reframe:
May Christ be the focus,
Of all you say and do,
Keep Christ in Christmas,
Throughout the whole year
through.
Refrain:
The Magi Were Wise
(Matthew 2)
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/28/21
The magi were wise,
Not to go it alone.
They followed the star,
Wherever it shown.
There is strength in
numbers,
Like three strands in a
cord.
Sages came together,
To worship the Lord.
We don't know their
number,
Some think there were
three,
As the gifts were
numbered,
That they brought the
baby.
Whoever they were,
From wherever they'd
come,
They showed us how Jesus,
Came for all not just
some.
On This the Eve of the
New Year
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/29/21
On this the eve of the
new year,
All our thoughts we
collect,
Of all that happened this
past year,
As we take time to
reflect.
Take time now to reflect
upon,
Take time now to reflect.
The past has passed,
preview the new,
Take the time now to
reflect.
As we look to the year
ahead,
And what all it might
bring,
Reflect upon your hopes
and dreams,
May they happen, let us
sing.
Take time now to reflect
upon,
Take time now to reflect.
The past has passed,
preview the new,
Take the time now to
reflect.
Should strife appear in
this new year,
You be you and I'll be
me,
let's make a pact not to
react,
but agree to disagree.
Take time now to reflect
upon,
Take time now to reflect.
The past has passed,
preview the new,
Take the time now to
reflect.
Come Before the Lord
Almighty
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/30/21
Come before the Lord Almighty,
Give to God thanks and
praise.
Offer your life to God's
service,
Live life fully all your
days.
When you're young, your
life before you,
Seeking for the right
pathways,
Ask for help from those
before you,
Walk with God all of your
days.
When life for you becomes
a burden,
And a struggle always,
Pray and reflect on your
journey,
Be still with God all
your days.
Thank You, Lord, as this
Year Ends
Jeffrey
B. Childs 12/31/21
Thank you, Lord, as this
year ends,
With all its joys and trials.
We celebrate with all our
friends,
With whom we've shared
tears and smiles.
We now look forward to
the new,
With resolutions made.
May we accomplish much
with you.
Your will be done, as we
have prayed.
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