...thoughts expressed here are not necessarily final.

December 12, 2005 Meditations at Christmas

I love this season- it strengthens and encourages me to meditate on the great extravagance of the disparity between what we deserve as enemies of God and how this baby reconciled the great tragedy of the universe. Of course, that is not limited to Christmas season- it's just that more people give Him glory this time of year it seems... yet who among us Redeemed give Him the measure of the glory He deserves???

I have been thinking of how mystery was revealed like a seed growing into a bud and then when the light comes and the season is right, the flower blooms. The theme is repeated below...

We Praise Emmanuel's Name

Though the King of heaven left his realm,
Put off his royal throne
With mercies tender overwhelmed
We bow to him alone.
For though He has become like us
His glory still remains
And He is ever God with us
We praise Emmanuel’s name.

Prince of Peace, Everlasting One
Humble child you are your Father’s son
All who believe shall live
For forgiveness you will give
To any soul that has become undone
Who sees God’s mighty mercy has begun.

From before the beginning
God’s glory was your own
From our origin to ending
We owe all to you alone
You loved the world and came to earth
So heaven could be ours
For our good and for your glory’s worth
This mystery ever flowers.

Prince of Peace, Everlasting One
Humble child you are your Father’s son
All who believe shall live
For forgiveness you will give
To any soul that has become undone
Who sees God’s mighty mercy has begun.

Anthony Foster
December 10, 2005

Hallowed Hope Of Glory

Abide with us and joy begins
At home within the hearts of men
Though they are lowly like a manger
May they be open to this stranger.
Let our hearts freely embrace
The savior as His resting place.
We would open every room
And wait to see your mystery bloom

What was concealed is now revealed
So we declare this mystery, this sacred story
We shall yield for by His Spirit we are sealed
Christ in us is the Hallowed Hope Of Glory

Abide with us and we in you
Shall find our lives reborn , renewed
We shall never be alone
You never shall forsake your own
Come tabernacle in this place
Make us your temple by your grace
And we will worship you without end
God is with us so we are found In Him

What was concealed is now revealed
So we declare this mystery, this sacred story
We shall yield for by His Spirit we are sealed
Christ in us is the Hallowed Hope Of Glory

Anthony Foster
December 11, 2005

Rejoice This Christmas Day

Rejoice- your only salvation
Has come to this place from above
Rejoice-your heart’s celebration
Has come to you in grace and love,

Rejoice this Christmas Day!
The Great I Am has become our way
In the manger see Him lay
And majesty flowers here today!

He has come unto His people
He comes to redeem us still
Be born in us today we pray
Come do the Father's will!

Rejoice in His rejoicing
Take comfort from His love
Compassion flows within the heart
That is set on things above.

Rejoice this Christmas Day!
The Great I Am has become our way
In the manger see Him lay
And majesty flowers here today!

December 12, 2005
Anthony Foster

Greater Glory

Amazing blessing born of God came through the virgin's womb
He took on flesh to abide with us so see His mystery bloom!
Amazing wisdom put on flesh- became foolish in men's eyes
He became like us so we could se His way will make us wise.
Amazing honor humbly weeps- His glory set aside
Yet greater glory shall be His since for glory He has died
Amazing power became weak- submits himself to loss
To bear the burden of my sin, to hang upon my cross.
Amazing mercy bled and died so it could flow so free
And lifted high He draws all men who will look to Calvary.
He dimmed His own all-seeing eye, and chose to veil His glory .
He became poor so we could be made rich for all the world to see.
Amazing grace this perfect gift was placed within a tomb
With His right hand He reclaimed life- now see all mystery bloom!
Amazing glory is made known by Him who sits upon the throne
As we behold so we become the righteousness of the Holy One.
Amazing blessing born of God came through the virgin's womb
He took on flesh to abide with us so see His mystery bloom!

December 12, 2005
Anthony Foster

I Just Want To Worship My Lord

Of all the things I want to do
I desire to see praise outpoured
To lift up the one who is faithful and true
I just want to worship my Lord
I want to see men humbly bow
T want to see lives restored
For beyond all the blessings this season can bring
I just want to worship my Lord.
I want to hear Christmas voices
Singing praises that can't be ignored
Hear the song of a soul that rejoices
As it thrills to worship my Lord.
So celebrate God's gift to men
He is worthy to be adored.
So here in this special time again
I just want to worship my Lord.
I just want to worship my Lord.

Anthony Foster
December 11, 2005

Humbly Bow

The righteous Father His Son sends to fulfill His covenant vow
The Lord of Majesty descends as the heavenly hosts all humbly bow.
To powers of this ailing earth -Won't comprehend this treasure's worth
The sons of men stand awestruck now-As in our hearts we humbly bow.
All majesty and power and dominion now belong
To this humble holy heresy that seems to be all wrong
But men shall see their values redefined
And come to see this foolishness as the best grace we could find.
This God now cries shall one day weep
In a cradle He lies, but in a tomb he shall sleep
But sure as He is born this day He will see rebirth
Arising in His glory to conquer all the earth!
Now on this humble back road In a place thought to be defiled
Stripped bare of all His glory We find God's holy child
We're dumbstruck by the meaning We're awestruck by this thought
That this helpless and dependent one Is the savior we have sought.
We fall face down in worship We hallow his name now
We long to hold him close to us As in hope we humbly bow.
We fall face down in worship We hallow his name now
We long to hold him close to us As in hope we humbly bow.

Anthony Foster
December 13, 2005

We were listening to PBS tonight to see what they came up with for their performance of the Young Messiah. I was never a big fan of this revamped updated gospel/rock version of the classic. Classics just don't ever get improved upon. A few songs in the original and remake by Annie Herring, Russ Taff in the New Young Messiah and Larnelle Harris in the original provided some interesting moments. The PBS version with Gladys Knight, et. al. continued the slide. Aiden Quinn's narration that was frought with bad theology would have Handel spinning in his grave. So I exercised my rights and turned off the tube and put on the original- which we are soaring with as I write.

Here's what the BBC said of the original:

"Handel's Messiah is one of the Christian world's most popular musical works ever. It's a sort of 18th Century musical which can be appreciated on many levels, since it contains hummable tunes, rousing choruses, virtuoso arias, many memorable moments, and deeply spiritual texts. ...

This enduring masterpiece was written in 1741 in London, UK, in Handel's house at 25 Brook Street (now a Handel museum open to visitors), at tremendous speed, and was completed in the space of about three weeks. The texts were selected by Charles Jennens (1700 - 1773), who was a literary scholar and an editor of the plays of Shakespeare. They encapsulate the central beliefs of Christianity, from the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah1 through to the Nativity and crucifixion of Jesus, the Resurrection and Ascension, and the belief in final victory over sin, death and decay. So although Messiah is often thought of these days as a Christmas piece, it was quite rightly originally associated with Easter.

This is heavy stuff, imbued with profundities and hidden meanings, and the deep implications of life and death, good and evil, the past and the future, retribution and salvation, man and God. But Handel deals with all this in his distinctive style, in highly original music which is easy on the ear yet never banal."