Reading 1
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’
“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.”
Responsorial Psalm
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Amen.
Amen. And THANK YOU Menagerie!! God bless you and yours on this special day. Merry Christmas to all!
Goodness.💞
Doors of Hope. 💒
God bless everyone!🙏
Thank you Menagerie !
Always beautiful.
Praise the Lord!
Jesus is King
-Praise God
✝️
———-
Thank you, Menagerie💖
Thanks for all you do … Merry Christmas
Praise God who gave us his only son
Thank you God for your love and your patience
We love you
Faith Rest gives us solitude
in Jesus name
Amen
🙏💒
And…
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
And:
15 “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger”
“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Onward Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See, His banners go! Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus Going on before.
At the name of Jesus
Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise:
Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise!
Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God:
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided,
All one Body we—
One in faith and Spirit, One eternally.
Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane;
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
’Gainst the Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, Which can never fail.
Onward, then, ye people!
Join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor
Unto Christ, the King;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.
Thank you! This is my favorite Christmas song. I have never heard of this group before but this version of them singing is very very spiritually energized. I got chills listening to it.
Praises to the Lord God. Thank you Menagerie! Blessings to all.
We have a savior!
Praise be to God our Heavenly Father! And Jesus Christ his son!
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
One of my favorite settings of “The King Shall Come”. Happy last Sunday of Advent and a Merry Christmas to all. May God shower you with His blessings and grace in the new year.
Merry Christmas to all Treepers. May you be richly blessed in the coming year!
A Blessed Christmas to All! Many thanks and blessings to The Conservative Treehouse.
Sharing a favorite Christmas song: How Many Kings
Sung by Downhere (if permitted, see it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iSivQmzJ_w)
Lyrics:
Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we’ve projected
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother’s shawl
Just a child, is this who we’ve waited for?
‘Cause how many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for His honor and frankincense for His pleasure
And myrrh for the cross He’ll suffer
Do you believe? Is this who we’ve waited for?
(Is this who we’ve waited for?)
How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me
Oh-oh-oh
All for me, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
All for me (all for me)
All for you (all for you)
All for me (all for me)
All for you
All for me, all for you
All for me (all for me)
All for you
How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me
All for me, all for you
Written by: Marc A. Martel, Jason Ronald William Germain
Album: How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas
Released: 2009
Lyrics provided by Musixmatch
Thank you, Menagerie, Ad rem, Stella, Wee, and Sundance for standing on the parapet for all of us who have been led to this bless-ed place of Refuge. And as we are more than two or three gathered together, I am certain our loving God is amongst us.
I am feeling a deeper hope with this Christmas than ones past. As if He has said to us, “Fear not, I am always with you” louder… so that even those who will not hear cannot ignore His voice. It seems more than fitting that this Fourth Sunday in Advent falls on Christmas Eve.
I pray for every soul in these branches that His peace for each is so overwhelming that the wells of faith are dug deeper and filled to the brim with the knowledge that His mercies are never ending. We are His sheep…tonight our Shepherd will be born, as promised. Glory to God in the Highest!!! 🙏🏻🕊
A small gift from me to all my friends here who are so precious to me. I can hear the angels in the heavens in their joy which I do pray everyone will feel, too 💕
Amen
Amen
I love this video/song
this song and “Mary Did You Know” are always tearful for me. Thank you for sharing!!!!
Thank You Tree House For Sharing The Light And The Faith And The Joy With many Blessings To Sundance & Company And To Our Intrepid Treepers.
Amen!
Joy to the World!
Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Men!
And
God Bless us Everyone!
To you and yours,
Merry Christmas!
May the Blessings of G_D be upon all that read and comment here.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Matt 1:21-23
Merry Christmas to all!
this liturgy is short and to the point…an excellent way to remember why we are celebrating Christmas before we dive into the presents and feast. It has a handy QR code or PDF option so no excuses to not have it.
https://wolfmueller.co/liturgychristmasgifts/
THANK YOU for sharing your gift of hope and blessings of peace with those touched by your faith-filled service.
May all the blessings of the Christ Child be with you at Christmas and throughout the New Year.
To Sundance, Menagerie and Staff: Wishing you a lifetime filled with good health, joy, love and peace.
Thank you Menagerie! Merry Christmas to you and all the Treehouse staff 🎄✝
“Advent means “arrival” and signifies the start of an event or the arrival of a person. In Christian communities around the world, Advent refers to a four-week season of remembering and celebrating the arrival of Jesus on Earth.”
Let us celebrate the arrival of Our Lord Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
And looking to His second coming, not as a lamb but as a Lion.
Blessings to all Treepers this Christmas Eve.
From time to time, a particular carol encapsulates the Christmas season in the times in which we are living.
For me, this year, it is this one:
Amen. May God bless you Sundance for all you do. Merry Christmas.
The Collect fro the 4th Sunday in Advent, from the Book of Common Prayer:
“O Lord, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.”
Thank you, Sundance, for posting the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and this 4th Sunday of Advent message.