IS 9:1-6
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for flames.
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
GospelLK 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
This is a Christmas post. Absolutely no tolerance will be given to any off topic comments. Please respect the intent and nature of this post, keeping it open for Christmas greetings and comments.

I love this song because it helps me think about the absolute darkness there was prior to Christ’s advent. They could only look forward to the promise of God. We are so blessed to be on this side of the cross and have “20-20” vision when it comes to the birth of Christ. May we be like Simeon and Anna in praising God for Christ!
1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?
3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4, NASB)
Thanks
I never tire of reading these verses.
First, the cradle, then the cross. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
The Cross speaks to every single person in every place and every Country.
I gave myself for thee
Now give yourself for me
First the Lamb of God was wrapped in swaddling cloths and then after His sacrifice on the cross, He was wrapped in grave cloths.
Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to his people on Earth.
For all my precious friends in their branches I leave the gift of the most wonderful voice now singing in the celestial choir of our heavenly Father. On this joyous day we welcome His Son, our Saviour, Whose arrival was promised, with hearts filled with the deepest gratitude.
A Merry and peaceful Christmas I pray for each of you 🙏🏻💕
Glory to God in the Highest!!!!
“GESÙ BAMBINO”
Sung by Jesse Norman (in English)
Merry Christmas to All CTH Nation!
Wishing Sundance and you all a Blessed Christmas Day and 2025!
Glory To God In The Highest and Peace To All!
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
As we celebrate His birth, may our hearts overflow with joy, peace, and gratitude.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).
Fill this day with love and unity, Lord.
Amen.
Amen.
Thank you Menagerie.
Merry Christmas to all.
Trust God.
Fear not.
Wishing all CTH readers, Sundance, Menagerie et al A Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas 🎄
God Bless You Everyone.
https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1871749243297472662
That was AWESOME!
Merry Christmas to all.
Jesus love you!
Thank You Menagerie.. Merry Christmas to you and yours
Heavenly Father, be with all today!
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
Merry Christmas everyone!
Light A Candle
Our church put together a little performance playing this song as part of our Christmas Eve service. I don’t have a video of that to share, so I thought I would share the song. I had never heard this before.
Merry Christmas! Let your life shine!
Thank you Menagerie.
Every time I read Luke’s passage I hear it in Linus’ voice in my head. Best reading ever.
Merry Christmas to all.
Many years later…empty seats at the dinner tables….
Beautiful pix of the EF….
https://www.greatlakesproud.com/blogs/news/great-lakes-freighters
God Bless our Mariners.
If you ever want to head up to Duluth I’d be glad to take you to the Canal on Park Point, and to the shipping docks in Two Harbors (where I might be able to get you on the Edna G tugboat that is still in the water).
I was working on the survey ship Oceanographer, a few hundred miles southeast of Honolulu when the ship’s radio officer posted the sad news on the crew bulletin board.
You can tour a similar ship owned, by Cleveland Cliffs, in Cleveland.
I woke up feeling so much despair and came to this site for hope. These verses remind me of the beauty of Christ and His faithfulness from the beginning of time. He is so good.
I am so sorry you woke in despair this morning, Margaret. I pray the Lord will continue to shine His glory, goodness and grace into you heart and fill your life with joy inexpressable.
You are His child, His adopted daughter, a princess of the King of kings.
You are those things, dearest Margaret, and you will be through all eternity, thanks to our great God and His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas, Margaret!
Karl Marx once wrote that religion is the opiate of the people, a dystopian viewpoint that entirely misses the meaning of faith in something greater than ourselves!
Religion is our path to those transcendental moments that fill us with awe, connect us to each other and give us that rare glimpse of the divine.
The Nativity invokes such a moment and reminds us that, despite our failings, God calls us to the better angels of our nature.
I was up til 3 on Christmas morning, listening to Tommee Profitt’s The Birth of a King – live in concert.
Listen to these performances and the joy on the performers’ faces and I hope the experience brings many of my CTH brothers and sisters to a moment such as I described.
“Handel’s Messiah in Grace Cathedral” (complete)
Merry Christmas
Plays written by children and performed by adults is the BESTEST!
Merry Holy Christmas everyone. Love to all.
Thank you for sharing this.
It is the bestest for sure.
Merry Christmas!
To Sundance, Menagerie and alla the rest of you ‘motley crew'(*) of Treeper ‘Deplorables'(*) (*: /s 😉 ): – My heartfelt thanks for *All* that alla you together have built here – The site itself, the research archives and the ever vibrant, humorous and wise community…
…- I wish *All* of you the *Very Merriest* of Christmasses, full of peace, joy and *Communion* – both with you and yours and with almighty God above and His…
…- Also wishing you *All* a *Very MAGA* New Year… – From the 1st ’til the 20th and then *Especially Beyond*: “*Plus Ultra!!*…”, and may we all get to go on living our very best lives…
At one time, there were a handful of Boston Camerata CDs in my music collection.
It has been awhile since last since listening and would like to share an additional, musical Christmas greeting to fellow Treepers:
Wise men still seek him.
This belongs in the “religion” category instead of the politics one. Trump’s Christmas message.
Thank you Menagerie.
cross posted at https://freedomaustralia.freeforums.net/thread/6530/people-walked-darkness-great-light
A todos!! Les deseo una muy Feliz Navidad desde Yucatán México! Gracias a Dios!
A BLESSED EASTER TO ALL
Memories of Christmases long past came flooding in today, some of them sad because of absent family, but one was of the poem “For the Time Being” by W. H. Auden that I studied in college.
It’s a long poem, a radio play, really, with all the Nativity characters voicing their thoughts, dreams and worries.
The ending on the fleeting feelings of Christmas is what I remembered.. The last two lines are:
Remembering the stable where for once in our lives
Everything became a You and nothing was an It.
That’s it. Because of Bethlehem, no one is an It.
Merry Christmas, Treepers.
Merry Christmas
may we be a light that shines in a dark world.
to HIM be the glory.
merry christmas everyone.
Thank you Menagerie,
Merry Christmas to all ❤️