First United Methodist Church Of Decatur issued the following announcement on Dec. 7.
December 7
The Friendly Beasts #227
Jesus, our brother, strong and good,
was humbly born in a stable rude,
and the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus, our brother, strong and good.
This unique Christmas carol builds on the centuries-old legend that the animals in the stable were given the gift of speech when Christ was born. Each verse has a different animal telling what they gave to the baby. The donkey carried his mother, the cow gave him her manger for a bed, the sheep gave him wool for a blanket, and so on. While we may or may not believe the animals actually spoke, this simple carol is a reminder that Advent/Christmas is not about getting. It is about giving of what we have to those that need it. Even the baby Jesus had needs that others had to fulfill. There are so many good places to give our time, our money, or our material goods. Like the animals, we each have something to give.
God of blessings, we get so busy making our lists of what we want that we forget what we can give. May the animals remind us that even the simple gifts we can give can be a blessing to others. Amen.
Original source can be found here.
Source: First United Methodist Church Of Decatur
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