For Unto Us a Child is Born (a two part reading)

by Richard Cassidy
(Winston-Salem, NC, USA)

For unto us a child is born,
To us a son is given,
And the government will be on his shoulders,
And he will be called Counselor too Wonderful for words,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


Today, God has opened the door to heaven, the pathway to love.
In a still restless world,
On a dark shadowless night;


And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of God’s Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”


Proclamations were shouted from the heavens as the agony of childbirth brought gurgling and coos from a new born baby boy.


A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and of power,
The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.


Who was this child to be?
Who is this boy, that angels declared his coming?


In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim


Today, by birth of a child, not by armies or war;
Today, God offers peace through Jesus, the anointed, God’s Son
Raise your voice and say, “


I will praise you, O Lord, although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”


On a day very much like today, full of commerce, vacations, and parties;
On a day like today, the armies of heaven stepped back and turned their thoughts to peace, to hope, to victory being laid out in a baby, in a child


Lord, you have established peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us,


Through the birth of Christ, God offers us the opportunity to step back from our battles and strife, worries and cares, and dream of peace through Jesus, the righteous, the faithful, THE KING


They will enter singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.


As we shift our focus on Heaven’s Gift


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness; the darkness has not understood it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.


As we offer our lives as a gift fit for a King


For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose; so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold onto and out the word of life

Today if you hear his voice; do not harden your hearts.
Today if you hear his voice


Sh, sh, listen


Today I have become your Father