Greatness of the world in tears

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W i s e   M e n

Providence Lutheran Church

Lexington, South Carolina

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The brawling of a sparrow in the eaves,
The brilliant moon and all the milky sky,
And all that famous harmony of leaves,
Had blotted out man's image and his cry.

A girl arose that had red mournful lips
And seemed the greatness of the world in tears,
Doomed like Odysseus and the labouring ships
And proud as Priam murdered with his peers;

Arose, and on the instant clamorous eaves,
A climbing moon upon an empty sky,
And all that lamentation of the leaves,
Could but compose man's image and his cry.

= William Butler Yeats =

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Happy Thursday :: Merry Christmas Eve

That someone is God

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E a t

Main Street

Columbia, South Carolina

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No one can celebrate
a genuine Christmas
without being truly poor.
The self-sufficient, the proud,
those who, because they have
everything, look down on others,
those who have no need
even of God -- for them there
will be no Christmas.
Only the poor, the hungry,
those who need someone
to come on their behalf,
will have that someone.
That someone is God.
Emmanuel. God-with-us.
Without poverty of spirit
there can be no abundance of God.

= Óscar Romero =

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Happy Wednesday :: Happy Christmas Week

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

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B o u g h s   a n d   D o m e

Christmas 2014

Columbia, South Carolina

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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 the 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.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

= Henry Wadsworth Longfellow =

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Happy Tuesday :: Happy Christmas Week

He will come like dark

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L a s t   C h r i s t m a s

State House View :: Gervais Street Side

Columbia, South Carolina

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He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
He will come like frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth
opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.
He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red
December sun draws up the sheet
and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.
He will come, will come,
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free.
He will come like child.

= Rowan Williams =

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Happy Monday :: Happy Christmas Week

Hope of all the earth Thou art

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I ' v e   G o t   A   C r è c h e   O n   Y o u

Providence Lutheran Church

Lexington, South Carolina

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Come, thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free

From our fears and sins release us

Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel's strength and consolation

Hope of all the earth Thou art

Dear desire of every nation

Joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver

Born a child and yet a King

Born to reign in us forever

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone

By Thine all sufficient merit

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

= Charles Wesley =

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And the angel said unto them, Fear not:

for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people. For unto you

is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

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Happy Sunday :: Merry Christmas