I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day: Parents, Claim the Truth of the Gospel Amidst Hardship
Longfellow digs beneath his pain to something so engrained in him as a follower of Christ that it has to surface, even in the darkest of times: the Gospel.
Longfellow digs beneath his pain to something so engrained in him as a follower of Christ that it has to surface, even in the darkest of times: the Gospel.
When we sing this hymn, we are putting ourselves in the shoes of a first century Jew who is longing to be free from exile, oppression, and suffering… Here we are, two centuries later, not needing to stretch our imaginations too much to understand what that longing would have been like.
In unconditional love, God not only calls me child but heir to all he possesses. In the light of this glorious truth, my inadequacies fade in importance.
So, what do you say in the midst of this aching world when your children are reeling (and so are you)? You proclaim the hope and glory of God. You tell yourself and your family the truth.
This year, we polled our staff, Steering Committee, and a few friends of Rooted to offer you our most robust list yet, the 2020 Christmas gift guide.
We must pray to stop seeing boys and girls as “other people’s kids,” and start extending our love and care to them as if they are “ours,” and as valuable as our own.
Read and enjoy, knowing that your love for your children is seen, felt, and returned. Happy Thanksgiving!
Parents, if you ever wonder whether time spent with your church’s youth ministry means anything to anyone at all, take heart from these youth ministers.
I ask you as parents to evaluate and encourage youth pastors in the same way we should evaluate and encourage all other pastors: based on their ability to preach and teach God’s Word, to exhort and encourage the church, and to lead their flocks well.