This may seem like a boring picture, taken 10 years ago today, but it really should have been a video.
10 years ago the church in the community of Jesús María didn’t have a building – they were renting the biggest place available in the neighbourhood, and were still packing it out every Sunday.
There was no place for the kids to be taught, so we would pack them into our blue van and ship them somewhere else, and then bring them back.
The van would arrive, and every door would open – even the back hatch (it’s just starting to open in the picture) – and kids would pour out!
Thank the Lord, the church now has its own building, and plenty of room for kids and teens and adults and community events and all kinds of evangelism and discipleship!
It’s been almost 43 days since we got home, and I haven’t been reporting much! So let me give you a bit of a summary of what’s been going on…
We’ve been settling back in, and cleaning up the volcanic ash inside and out that has accumulated (in spite of the fact that friends did some cleaning while we were gone – it builds up fast!). But also the van had to be verified (the day we returned), and we needed to make sure we had all the basics – gas for the house, water, food – it all took some time!
We’ve enjoyed some time with our church family. I had the privilege to preach on Christmas Eve. I finally got to join some others for a time of evangelism at a local hospital. We’ve also had some extra time to chat with everyone. Shari has been connecting with a couple of the women about Sunday School and women’s ministries. There’s a lot to catch up on! Lord willing I’ll be with some of the leaders on Saturday to talk about the upcoming months!
A lady we knew who is the mother/grandmother of some of the people in our church passed away in December. Along with other church leaders, I had the opportunity to share the gospel at the funeral. Please pray for those who still don’t know the Lord.
Over the holidays we were able to spend quite a bit of time with one another and with family from various parts of the world! And some board games very likely were a part of the rest time. 🙂 We also enjoyed time with the Lord, reflecting on the miracle of His coming.
Speaking of games, we were able to get together with our Avant mission team as well. It was a good time to get updated on how to pray for one another. And we introduced the team to Flick ’em Up…
At the first Sunday morning service of the year, our friend Oscar took a picture of us all (well, his camera took it – he’s in the photo!) – just click on it for a larger version:
Well, there are just a few of the things that have been happening over the last 43 days! Thanks for your prayers!
In 1986, Jack W. Hayford took the Christmas hymn and wrote new words – making it a Resurrection Sunday hymn (Worship Christ the Risen King):
Rise, O Church, and life your voices; Christ has conquered death and hell. Sing as all the earth rejoices; Resurrection anthems swell. Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ the risen King!
Once we had a Christmas-Easter service at our church (something my Dad had done) halfway between the two dates – it would have been interesting to combine the two versions, or sing one at the beginning of the service and one at the end! Why not try it one Sunday in February?
But the final verse of Angels from the Realms of Glory, one not often sung, is pure praise:
All creation, join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son, Evermore your voices raising To th’eternal Three in One. Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn king.
Certainly a fitting ending to a song either about creation, incarnation, or resurrection!
The Baby in the manger was God incarnate, God the Son (Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 2:9). The Father sent Him (John 17:25), the Spirit brought Him into the world (Matthew 1:18), and He accomplished the salvation of His people as a man (Matthew 1:21). Three Persons, One God, bringing salvation to a lost world. A Triune act of love.
The missions-minded author, James Montgomery, gives us a carol that in fact leads us through the Great Commission to the fulfillment of all things in the eternal Kingdom.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20
With all His disciples worldwide we wait for His return. And we do what the first disciples did, after they had watched Him ascend into Heaven: “While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him…“ (Luke 24:51 (emphasis mine)).
So as you sing or listen to this Christmas carol – may you do the same! Come and worship! Worship Christ, eternal King!
My grandfather was an organist, and even composed a hymn tune himself (called “Garside” after his church). Our Christmas carol got its most famous tune from another organist, published 42 years after the words were written.
The man was Henry Thomas Smart, an organist from London. Not only an organist, Smart was a recognized expert on organs, designing several organs himself. (Incidentally, you can see one of the organs he designed in the Leeds Town Hall. It’s currently being restored, and you can even “adopt a pipe” if you want to help!) He was also a well-known composer, and like Thomas Cotterill he promoted the use of both Psalms and hymns by editing hymnals himself.
In 1864, at the age of 52, he went completely blind. But he continued his work, and it was three years later that he composed “Regent Square”, the best-known tune for Angels from the Realms of Glory.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that a blind man wrote the tune for a song that looks back to history and then forward in faith. The next verse of the carol puts it this way:
Though an infant now we view Him, He shall fill His Father’s throne, Gather all the nations to Him; Every knee shall then bow down: Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn king.
Looking back at the wonderful miracle of the incarnation of Christ, we must always keep in mind the future – as King of all people, He will one day be truly worshipped by all. Not only that, He will “gather all nations to Him”. Not only will some from all nations become believers, someday all nations will be directly under His rule, instead of the rebellion we see now (Psalm 2:1-3).
This should be a great comfort to us, as it was to those “coming out of the great tribulation” in Revelation 7:
…the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17
Philippians echoes the promise of God from Isaiah 45:22-24, proclaiming that Jesus Himself is Yahweh, to whom all will bow…
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” says Yahweh in Isaiah. “Come and worship!” repeats our Christmas carol. Join those from every tribe and language and people and nation who will recognize the One born in Bethlehem as the One who is worthy of all honour and praise (Revelation 5:9).
