Trinity United Methodist Church
3430 Harrison Avenue / Beaumont, Texas 77706
409-892-8121 / www.trinityumcbeaumont.org
“Know God. Be Transformed. Love.”
We support each other in prayer:
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Prayer chapel, open during church hours
Centering prayer, Wednesday mornings,
10:30-11:00, Dishman Chapel
Intercessory prayer team
A month of meditations, one for each day of
December 2014
The world knew not the tender, serious maiden,
Who through deep loving years so silent grew,
Full of high thought and holy aspirations,
Which the o’ershadowing God alone might view.
And then it came, that message from the highest,
Such as to woman ne’er before descended, The
Almighty wings thy prayerful soul o’erspread,
And with thy life the Life of worlds
was blended….
Harriett Beecher Stowe
Thursday, December 4
Gone is a great while, and she Dwelt young in
Nazareth of Galilee…An angel-watered lily, that
near God Grows and is quiet. Till, one day at
home, She woke in her white bed, and had no
fear At all, yet wept till sunshine, and felt awed:
Because the fullness of the time was come.
“Mary’s Girlhood,” Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Mary
Monday, December 1
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man
whose name was Joseph,
of the descendants of David;
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
UM Hymnal #215, Gracia Grindal
Luke 1:26-27
Tuesday, December 2
And coming in, he said to her,
“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at this statement,
and kept pondering
what kind of salutation this might be.
Wednesday, December 3
Friday, December 5
To a maid engaged to Joseph, the angel
Gabriel came. “Fear not,” the angel told her,
“I come to bring good news, good news I come
to tell you, good news, I say, good news…
Fear not, for God is with you, and you shall
bear a child. His name shall be called Jesus,
God’s offspring from on high.”
Luke 1:28-29
Saturday, December 6
“How shall this be?” said Mary, “I am not yet a
wife.” The angel answered quickly, “The power
of the Most High will come upon you shortly,
your child will be God’s child.” As Mary heard
the angel, she wondered at his words. “Behold,
I am your handmaid,” she said unto her God.
“So be it; I am ready, according to your word.”
Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife;
for that which has been conceived in her
is of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:20
Tuesday, December 9
“And she will bear a son;
and you shall call his name Jesus, for it is he
who will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21
Wednesday, December 10
And it came about that when Elizabeth heard
Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb;
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
And she cried out with a loud voice, and said,
“Blessed among women are you,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Luke 1:41-42
Thursday, December 11
And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he has had regard
for the humble state of his bondslave;
for behold, from this time on, all generations
will count me blessed. For the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.”
Luke 1:46-49
Friday, December 12
And Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three
months, and then returned to her home.
Luke 1:56
UM Hymnal #215, Gracia Grindal
Sunday, December 7
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.
When his mother Mary had been betrothed to
Joseph, before they came together she was
found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Saturday, December 13
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meets in her aspect and her eyes.
Monday, December 8
Sunday, December 14
Matthew 1:18
George Gordon, Lord Byron
Help me to see! not with my mimic sight—
With yours! which carried radiance like the sun,
Giving the rays you saw with—light in light—
Tying all suns and stars and worlds in one.
“Prayer to the Virgin,” Henry Adams, Amer. historian and scholar
Monday, December 15
But Mary treasured up all these things,
pondering them in her heart.
Luke 2:19
Tuesday, December 16
And all were proceeding to register for the
census, everyone to his own city. And Joseph
also went up from Galilee, from the city of
Nazareth, to the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
family of David, in order to register,
along with Mary, who was engaged to him,
and was with child.
Luke 2:3-5
Wednesday, December 17
And it came about that while they were there,
the days were completed for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her first-born son; and
she wrapped him in cloths, and laid him in a
manger, because there was no room for them
in the inn.
Luke 2:6-7
Thursday, December 18
Woman in the night, spent from giving birth,
guard our precious light, peace is on the earth!
Come and join the song, women, children,
men; Jesus makes us free to live again!
UM Hymnal #274, Brian Wren
Friday, December 19
She smiled. “Come,” she said to the donkey.
“See what we have carried all this way,
you and I.” It was only a tiny child.
Yet, when the baby opened his eyes,
the cave was full of light. The donkey blinked.
But he was not dreaming now. He was awake.
from The Donkey’s Dream, by Barbara Helen Berger
Saturday, December 20
What child is this who, laid to rest, on Mary’s
lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with
anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are
keeping? This, this is Christ the King, whom
shepherds guard and angels sing; haste, haste
to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.
And Simon blessed them, and said to Mary his
mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the
fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to
be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your
own soul—to the end that thoughts from many
hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:34-35
Sunday, December 21
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all
above, while mortals sleep the angels keep
their watch of wondering love.
Saturday, December 27
Therefore the soldiers did these things. But
there were standing by the cross of Jesus his
mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife
of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:25
UM Hymnal #219, William C. Dix
UM Hymnal #230, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” Phillips Brooks
Monday, December 22
Hail the day on which a child was born.
Rejoice! Let us all sing and praise her
that gave birth to a son for whom she longed.
Greet this day with joy. Our hearts are glad.
Sunday, December 28
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the
disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to
his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then
he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his
own household.
John 19:26-27
Tuesday, December 23
Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day, A breastful of milk,
And a mangerful of hay…Angels and
archangels May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim Thronged the air—
But only His mother In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved With a kiss.
Monday, December 29
Now by that cross thou tak’st thy final station,
And shar’st the last dark trial of thy Son…with
high silent anguish like his own. All now is
darkness; and in that deep stillness The Godman wrestles with that mighty woe; Hark to that
cry, the rock of ages rending—“’Tis finished!”
Mother, all is glory now!
Harriett Beecher Stowe
UM Hymnal #146 “At The Birth of a Child,”
from The Masai, Herders of East Africa, by Sonia Bleeker
“In the Bleak Midwinter,” Christina Rossetti
Wednesday, December 24
Rock-a-bye, my dear little boy, dear little boy,
wonder of wonders, my blessing and joy;
slumber as I gently hold you, let my tender love
enfold you; gift of God to me and the world…
UM Hymnal #235, Czech carol
Thursday, December 25, Christmas Day
There’s a song in the air!
There’s a star in the sky! There’s a
mother’s deep prayer, and a baby’s low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
UM Hymnal #249, Josiah G. Holland
Friday, December 26
Tuesday, December 30
These all with one mind were continually
devoting themselves to prayer, along with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and
with his brothers.
Acts of the Apostles 1:14
Wednesday, December 31
Joyful mother, full of gladness, in thine arms
the Lord was borne. Mournful mother, full of
sadness, all thy heart with pain was torn.
Glorious mother, now rewarded with a crown
at Jesus’ hand, age to age thy name recorded
shall be blessed in every land.
UM Hymnal #272, “Sing of Mary, Pure and Lowly,”
Roland Ford Palmer