Take the Name of Jesus with You (Precious Name) - Marc's Music Notables

Names were important in the Bible. When God called Abram, he changed Abram’s name to Abraham, because “You will be the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:4).

He changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 35:10), which would become the name of God’s people. The scriptures, especially the Old Testament, often explain the significance of a person’s name, and sometimes tell the story of God changing a person’s name to fit a new calling.

Jesus’ name is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua, which means “Yahweh (God) saves.” The New Testament gives Jesus many titles (Christ, Messiah, Lord, Master, etc.), but Jesus (“God saves”) is his name. Lydia Baxter (1800-1874) enjoyed teaching people the significance of Biblical names— especially Jesus’ name.

She had authored a number of hymns, and in 1870 wrote this one. Of the many hymns that she authored, only this one survives in today’s hymnals. It calls people to take the name of Jesus with them, because it “will joy and comfort give you” (v. 1)—and because Jesus’ name serves as “a shield from every snare (v. 2).

The phrase, “Hope of earth and joy of heaven,” is worth consideration. Hope (which we have on earth) is future oriented.

Jesus gives us the hope of salvation—a vision of a heavenly kingdom which we have attained in part but will attain fully only in the future. Joy, however, is something enjoyed in the present, and heaven has already begun to experience the joy of Jesus’ salvation work. It already knows that we on earth are in the midst of learning.

Hopeful Expectation

Like many, my family gets together on Christmas Eve. Each year we gather and have a meal. After the meal is over, we open presents.

When I was a child, waiting to open the presents until after I ate the meal was hard. It was difficult to look at all of the brightly color boxes wrapped with bows and ribbons. I would scarf down whatever was on my plate. I wanted to finish quickly so I could get to opening presents sooner.

Visions danced in my head of toys and candies, just waiting to be opened. It was hard to focus on anything else.

I doubt that I'm the only child that had those expectations and for whom waiting for Christmas was hard. I was ready to rush through the traditions and get straight to the main event.

However, the traditions necessitated that I wait.

I had to wait before I opened my gifts. I had to wait until Christmas came.

Many of our Christmas traditions place an emphasis on waiting with hopeful expectations.

That is largely what our Advent season is. It is a season of hopeful expectations. We wait and build up anticipation for the coming birth of a Messiah. We sit at the edge of our seats, waiting for that final moment when Christ comes forth.

This year, as we start our Advent season once again, it is no different. We are waiting, hopeful for what is to come.

We don't just sit idly bye. We live into those expectations. We make the world into the world we hope for. We share our love with those people around us and we brighten their hearts, their minds, and their spirits. The hope that we look forward to is not a hope of the presents we will receive, but the hope of the gifts that we can give.

Those gifts are hope, peace, joy, and love.

This Advent, I invite you to come with us in hopeful expectation of what the coming Messiah will bring, not only in your life but in the lives of all of God's children.

Chicken Enchilada Pinwheels - Cheryl’s Favorite Food Memories

Christmas and Family celebrations My family is huge. Mom has siblings, Dad’s had 5 kids, and everyone had kids and so on and on. So when we would gather there would be food and more food. Scott and I moved away and we rarely got to go back for these massive celebrations but we gathered more family (by friendship) and shared the seasonal celebrations and feasts. One year I was looking for easy finger food for one of these gatherings and came across these chicken enchilada pinwheels. My boys loved them, especially my oldest. He would not merely eat them as a snack, he would make his own “burrito” out of the filling and make it a meal. There was a point that I made him his own bowl so that I actually had the ones for the party. They are so simple and yummy. They bring back times with family by friendship and little boys running a muck in the house. I hope you enjoy them too!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA PINWHEELS INGREDIENTS 

3 whole chicken breasts 

4 ounce chopped green chili peppers 

4-ounce can shopped black olives chopped 

A couple tablespoons of salsa (We like VERDE) 

16 ounces cream cheese softened -I use the whipped cream cheese 

1 ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar (I use Vermont extra sharp) 

1 cup shredded pepper Jack (the jalapeño type not bell) 

1 to 2 packages 10 inch flour tortillas

CHICKEN PREPARATION: Rinse the chicken and pat dry. 

Poach in water just covering chicken in a saucepan until tender; drain. (We’ve also use oven baked chicken breasts or sometimes leftover grilled.) 

Chop in small pieces (these can be large if you are using a food processor to combine) COMBINE IN A MIXER BOWL (OR FOOD PROCESSOR*): 

Cream cheese , chilies, olives, & cheeses (mixer on stir setting)  add chicken: mix until somewhat smooth  spread the mixture in a thin layer on the tortillas. *If you are using the food processor add chicken first then cheese, then other ingredients to keep them from getting too small) OPTIONS FOR BUILDING: • Roll the tortillas to enclose the filling.

• Cut tortilla rolls into ¼ inch slices serve as pinwheels or layer on a plate with spread on each level about tortillas each group (I do this with 3 tortillas per stack)

• Spread layer repeat the place tortilla on top

• Cut like a pie for wedges to serve Store in Ziplock without cutting until ready to serve. As an appetizer or with any traditional Mexican accompaniment such as guacamole, sour cream, or salsa My family loves these and I make a large bowl and leave it in the fridge for them to smear on tortilla when they want.

Silent Night - Marc's Music Notables

There are several variations on the story of the writing of this hymn, but they all center on the little Church of St. Nicholas in Obendorf, a village near Salzburg, Austria, on Christmas Eve, 1818—and they all recount a church organ that wouldn’t play and a priest who was determined not to let the broken organ spoil the Christmas Eve service.

In one telling of the story, a band of roving actors came to Obendorf with their Christmas play, which so inspired Fr. Joseph Mohr that he wrote this song. In another telling of the story, when Fr. Mohr discovered that the organ was broken, he remembered a poem that he had written two years earlier. He took the poem to the church organist, Franz Gruber, who set it to music.

But the story most frequently told has Fr. Mohr discovered that the organ was broken. Distraught over the possibility that the Christmas Eve service might be ruined, he sat down and quickly wrote these verses—and then took them to Franz Gruber, who composed the music.

At this point, the facts are lost in antiquity—and the variations all support a central theme of adversity and inspiration and determination to save the evening. From that point the stories merge into one. Fr. Mohr did write the words for this carol. Franz Gruber composed the music. It was first sung on Christmas Eve, 1818, in the Church of St. Nicholas in Obendorf, and the original accompaniment was a guitar. All the stories agree on those facts.

Later, when Karl Mauracher came to repair the organ, he heard the story and obtained a copy of the song. As he went about his business, he made the story and song known to other churches in the region. Then a family of glove makers— the Strasser family—came into possession of a copy of the song. As they traveled through the villages in the area selling their gloves, their children would sing songs to entertain passersby and to draw attention to their merchandise—and they added this song to their repertoire. They also sang the song at the Leipzig fair, which spread its fame further.

Then, in 1838, “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” was published in a German Catholic hymnal— and in 1839 the Rainers, another musical family from Austria, traveled to New York City, where they sang “Stille Nacht!” at Trinity Church—and German immigrants brought the song with them and sang it in their churches.

By the time of the Civil War, “Silent Night” had long since been translated into English, and was a Christmas favorite in both North and South. Today it is the best known and loved Christmas carol around the world.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season - Kayla's Korner

Luke 2:11 ESV 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Christmas is always a great way to end our long hard working year and Sometimes we get so wrapped up in Christmas shopping, the Christmas movies, and making sure our children get to see Santa at the mall. All of that is fun! I enjoy gift giving, I love to see the reaction of others when they open the gift I got them, for me that is the best feeling in the world. 2021 has been another tough year, with all the COVID still going on, and now here we are in the holiday season and we just want to celebrate with our families. Every year, my family would make a cake for Jesus and we would all sing Happy birthday to Him. That was our way of remembering Him. This year, think of some ways you can remember the birth of Jesus and how you can share that with others during all the holiday festivities.  I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas!