The conviction that Francis Avenue, on which Harvard Divinity School stands was named after St. Francis... I must have suppressed my inclination to verify this conviction out of fear of being robbed of another illusion...
Names tell stories, most of all the names which is above all other names, the name of Jesus. In his name I am called to live. His name has to become my house, my dwelling place, my refuge, my ark. His name has to start telling the story of being born, growing up, growing old and dying--revealing a God who loved us so much that he sent his only child to us.
Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journal, pg 60
Scripture:
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. Luke 21:15-18
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Prayer
A Prayer for Christmas Morning
Every person who takes breath throughout the earth is invited to pause and celebrate You, Jesus, God’s Son incarnate. You left your throne in heaven and chose to come to earth and take on human form. You set aside your limitless magnificence and chose to live the life of a servant.
Yet, You were not just any servant – You chose to serve sinful people in need of a Savior. You humbled yourself entirely, obeyed God completely, and allowed Yourself to die for the sins of all people – for my sins – so that I could now enter the heavenly home that you left. Breathtaking! Thank you, Jesus.
Help me this morning, and all throughout the day, to embrace the amazing love You have for me. I will quiet my heart and mind before You to think about that love. You demonstrated Your love by being born in a humble stable, living a sinless life and offering Yourself as the perfect sacrifice.
What a gift You have given to me, to my loved ones, to the world! Jesus, You are my gift this Christmas morning. Help me to focus on Your gift of love more than anything else I might receive today. Help me to remind my family, my friends, and all with whom I will be celebrating that this day, Christmas day, is a gift of love like no other.
My heart celebrates the gift of You this morning.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23
Scripture
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
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