Advent 15- Bind our Hearts

December 11

Read Exodus 20:1 – 17, Matthew 22:37 – 40, and John 13:34 & 35

Our loving God gave us the commandments not as a path to heaven, but as a guide to help us live a life of love. The ‘if/then’ statement related to the commandments is not ‘if you live according to the commandments you will be saved’ but rather ‘if you love God, then you will live this way.’ Not should live, or must live, but will live. It is a promise, it will happen that loving God will show itself in your life. Because we are, while still living on earth, both saint and sinner, we need the gift of the law to help us live a life of love so that others may see God’s love in us and so also come to know that perfect love.

A newer hymn, ‘A New Commandment’, quotes the passage from John with emphasis on the mission aspect of a life of love. An older hymn, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” also speaks of Christ’s love binding the church together in a loving relationship.

Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear,

And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear.

When here our pathways part, We suffer bitter pain;

Yet, one in Christ and one in heart, We hope to meet again

From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free

And perfect love and friendship reign Through all eternity.

or this and add a heart-   Google image

For the Family:

The symbol is a cross containing a heart and the tables of the law reminding us that God, in love, gave His Son and directs us to live a life of love. As you hang this symbol, give thanks for the Savior and pray for the gift of a heart filled with the love of Christ.

Bible Journaling:

Advent 15- 
Bible Journaling 
 Bind our Hearts
Connie Denninger

From the Kitchen:

          File box of Dora Pfitzer Meyermann- mother of Natalie Hartwig

Two of my grandmother’s recipes for crumb cake were in my mother’s file box on opposite sides of the same piece of paper. While they look very different, both are sweet and make a very nice coffee cake.. 

Brown Sugar Crumb Cake

1 ½ C brown sugar ½ C butter (cold)

2 C flour 1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt 1 egg, beaten

1 C sour milk (add vinegar to milk to sour it) 1 tsp soda

• Sift brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt together. Cut in butter as for biscuits. 
• Remove ½ C of this mixture and set aside.
• Mix baking soda with sour milk. 
• Add milk mixture and beaten egg to the rest of the sugar/flour/spice/butter mix and stir well.
• Grease and flour a 7 X 10 baking dish. Pour mixture in cake pan. Spread reserved ½ C of crumb mixture on top.
• Bake in moderate oven (350) until tester comes out clean.

White Crumb Cake

2 C flour 2 tsp baking powder

1 ½ C sugar ½ C Crisco

2 eggs ½ tsp salt ¼ C milk

• Sift together sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt
• Cut in shortening as for pie crust.
• Set aside ¾ C for top
• Add milk to well beaten eggs and add to rest of crumbs
• Grease and flour a 7 X 10 baking dish, spread mixture in pan

Sprinkle crumbs on top and bake in a moderate oven (350) until tester comes out clean.


Tree of Promise Devotions
Natalie Hartwig