![\"\"](\"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/photos\/blog9\/carols.jpg\")
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I was first moved this season by a Christmas carol at Blaise and Acadia’s school Winter Celebration a couple weeks ago where home schoolers presented their various talents of martial arts, dancing, singing, comedy, sketches, and playing instruments. Two young brothers played their violin and piano duet of\u00a0O Come, O Come, Emmanuel<\/strong>. Still reeling from some\u00a0of the earlier performances, I was moved to stillness as the whole gym was filled with by a single violin lamenting the need for redemption. With the incessant news of refugees, massacres, air strikes, online political hate, etc. the lyrics in my mind\u00a0resonated deeply.<\/p>\n …and ransom captive Israel<\/em> At church a week and a half ago, we were led in the singing of The\u00a0Huron Carol<\/strong>, Canada’s famous carol. I am so pleased with the\u00a0renewed federal efforts to establish compassionate and respectful dialogue with the First Nations. It was so good to sing out the joy of the Incarnate God with the voice\u00a0of people sidelined, abused, and ignored in our country.<\/p>\n The earliest moon of wintertime<\/em> In our final chapel service before classes closed for the break, I may have startled the students in front of me as I sang\u00a0O Holy Night<\/strong> with such gusto. The power of God’s coming is one of the easiest messages to proclaim.<\/p>\n A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,<\/em> I was first moved this season by a Christmas carol at Blaise and Acadia’s school Winter Celebration a couple weeks ago where home schoolers presented their various talents of martial arts, dancing, singing, comedy, sketches, and playing instruments. Two young brothers played their violin and piano duet of\u00a0O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Still reeling from … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,19,22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-admin","4":"post-2898","6":"format-standard","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"category-calgary","9":"category-christianity","10":"category-music","11":"category-politics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zaakistan.com\/dir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n That mourns in lonely exile here,<\/em>
\n Until the Son of God appear.<\/em>
\n Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel<\/em>
\n Shall come to thee, O Israel.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n Is not so round and fair<\/em>
\n As was the ring of glory<\/em>
\n On the helpless infant there.<\/em>
\n The chiefs from far before him knelt<\/em>
\n With gifts of fox and beaver pelt.<\/em>
\n Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,<\/em>
\n In excelsis gloria.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"