Christmas
I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet, the words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 19th-century American poet)
In a world that has been continually torn with constant turmoil, repeated conflicts, and threats of war, we pray on this Christmas Day for lasting peace. This is the day we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, who alone can reign sovereignly over a kingdom free from strife. We prayerfully await his promised return to establish just such a kingdom.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)