Art and Beauty

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  “But the voice of our age seems by no means favorable to art, at all events to that kind of art to which my inquiry is directed. The course of events has given a direction to the genius of the time that threatens to remove it continually further from the ideal of art. For art has to leave reality, it has to raise itself bodily above necessity and neediness; for art is the daughter of freedom, and it requires its prescriptions and rules to be furnished by the necessity of spirits and not by that of matter. But in our day it is necessity, neediness, that prevails, and bends a degraded humanity under its iron yoke.” —J. C. Friedrich von Schiller. “Letters upon the Æsthetic Education of Man.” (1795)

The Christmas Journey of Worship

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Bible teacher Woodrow Kroll writes this provoking thought: “If the star of Bethlehem first appeared on the night Jesus was born, then two groups started a journey toward worship that evening. The shepherds didn’t have far to go. They could probably see the dim lamplights of the little town from the hillside where they were tending their flocks. Meanwhile, in a distant land, wise men marveled and began preparations for an important journey. It may have taken them as long as two years of travel to reach Bethlehem.”
As you ponder the things of Christmas in your heart, take a moment to reflect where you are now in your journey with Christ:

  • Was it a short trip (perhaps you came to Him when you were young), or were you a long time in coming (perhaps you repented later in life)?
  • What it was that drew your attention to The Savior?
  • Who or what was it that pointed the way? How did you find out about Jesus?
  • Are you drawing even nearer to Him in your everyday walk?
  • Why do you worship Him? 
  • How will your Christmas worship be different this year?

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