Advent 17- Risen King

December 13,

 St. Lucy, martyr, c. 304

Read: Genesis 1:3; Isaiah 9:2; John 8:12; Revelation 22:5

For more than a thousand years the church has celebrated the feast of St. Lucy (Lucia), whose name means light, in December, near to the time of the winter solstice. To celebrate today we remember the creation of light, the promise of light for souls lost in the darkness of sin fulfilled by Christ, and the promise that, in the church triumphant, Christ will be our light throughout all eternity.

The hymn, ‘The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns,’ reminds us of the promise kept in the Christ Child born in Bethlehem, but focuses on the promise of Christ’s triumphant return to take His own to glory.

The king shall come when morning dawns, and light triumphant breaks,

When beauty gilds the eastern hills, and life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child to bear, and fight, and die,

But crowned with glory like the sun that lights the morning sky.

O brighter than the rising morn when He, victorious, rose,

And left the lonesome place of death, despite the rage of foes;

O brighter than that glorious morn shall this fair morning be

When Christ, our King, in beauty comes, and we His face shall see.

The King shall come when morning dawns, and earth’s dark night is past;

O haste the rising of that morn, the day that aye shall last.

And let the endless bliss begin, by weary saints foretold,

When right shall triumph over wrong, and truth shall be extolled.

The King shall come when morning dawns, and light and beauty brings;

Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray, Come quickly, King of kings.

Maybe this for the crown-----Google image

For the Family:

In Scandinavia the faithful celebrate St. Lucy’s Day by placing a wreath of candles on the head of a young maiden. We celebrate with a rising sun marked with the crown of Christ the Crucified, Risen, and Ascended Lord. Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and pray, ‘Even so, come Lord Jesus!’

Bible Journaling:

From the Kitchen:

Traditionally, the Scandanavian maiden wakes her parents with breakfast and serves them a festive cardamom bread. 

Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Bread)

This is typically served with coffee  by Finn house wives. I learned to make it at John’s first parish, Faith Lutheran Church, Maple, WI. The mixing instructions are important. It takes an extra large bowl for the mixing and rising. Freezes well.

1 pkg active dry yeast ½ cup warm water

2 cups milk, scalded, cooled to lukewarm 1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

7 – 8 whole cardamom pads, seeded and crushed (about 1 tsp ground cardamom)

4 eggs beaten 8 – 9 cups sifted white flour

½ cup melted butter

• Proof yeast in warm water and sugar for about 15 minutes
• Stir in milk, salt, cardamom, eggs, and about 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth and elastic.
• Add about 3 cups flour and beat well. Dough should be smooth and glossy.
• Add butter and stir in well. Beat again until dough looks glossy. 
• Stir in remaining flour.
• Turn out onto slightly floured board, cover with inverted mixing bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Knead for 10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, turn the dough to grease the top, cover lightly, let rest until doubled (about 1 hour.)
• Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into 6 pieces and use each piece to form a loaf. Divide each piece into 3 pieces and braid. Place braids on parchment lined pan (a 12 X 15 pan holds 3 braids)
• To make one loaf into a St. Lucia’s Crown divide one portion into 10 equal pieces. Braid 3 of them and form that braid into an arc. Roll each of the remaining 7 pieces into a long rope and wind that rope into a spiral. Place the spirals along the larger curve of the braided arc.
• Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
• Glaze the loaves by brushing with a beaten egg. May sprinkle them with sugar (I use coarse ground natural sugar just because it looks pretty). If you are going to glaze the loaves with powdered sugar glaze after baking, do not sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a light golden brown.
• Glaze with powdered sugar mixed with vanilla after loaves are baked.

Tree of Promise Devotions

Natalie  Grace Hartwig