Gospel.com Blog

We linked earlier this week to some Christmas music resources at Songs and Hymns. But if you’re still in the mood for more holiday music (and who isn’t?), there’s more at RBC Ministries. Here are a few links:

• Did you know that “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” was written about a family tragedy during the Civil War?
• Chances are you know the first stanza of the famous Christmas carol “What Child is This”—but as with many holiday songs, the second verse brings out a whole new meaning to the carol. Give those often-overlooked second, third, and fourth stanzas a read next time you’ve got a hymnal at hand!
• Read about the powerful social commentary lurking between the lines of “Angels, From the Realms of Glory.”
• You might not even recognize the original version of perhaps the most famous Christmas carol of all.

These devotionals are a reminder that there’s more to Christmas music than catchy tunes and familiar words—there are important stories and messages behind them. Your appreciation for these songs will only deepen if you take a moment this Christmas season to really ponder what they’re saying.

We’re well into the Advent season, the period of time leading up to the Christmas celebration. But isn’t there something odd about commemorating Advent (which means “coming”) thousands of years after the event it leads up to? If Advent is meant to lead up to Christ’s birth, and Christ has already arrived… does that make Advent a simple exercise in nostalgia?

Betsy Childs writes about the strange season of Advent at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries:

Is this a flaw in the whole concept of the Advent season? Not at all. In Advent, we don’t simply look back and pretend that we are waiting, imagining what it would have been like to wait for the Messiah prior to the Incarnation. We are also meant to truly and sincerely look forward to Christ’s second coming.

We don’t celebrate Advent just to commemorate an ancient event. Rather, it challenges us to look forward to Christ’s second coming the same way that early believers looked forward to his initial coming. Read Childs’ essay for more.

Steve Argue over at the Intersect Community blog recently linked to an advent Bible reading guide put out by Mars Hill Bible Church. Advent is already a few weeks in, but it’s never too late to jump in if you’re looking for a good reading plan!

Additionally, the Mars Hill community is keeping a blog during the month of December where artists are reflecting on the themes the readings explore.

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Now that December is here, one cultural event commands our attention above all else: Christmas! Christmas is still several weeks away, but it’s not too early to start thinking about it. And I don’t mean thinking about how many Christmas gifts you have yet to purchase—I’m referring to the Christian tradition of Advent.

Advent is the season leading up to Christmas, and the church has traditionally used it as a time to ponder the mystery and meaning of Christ’s birth. To help you mark the Advent season, Scripture Union USA provides a free Bible reading guide for Advent (available in PDF or via email). Each day, it gives you a short Scripture passage and a few life-application questions to ponder.

Celebrating Advent is a great way to get into the true spirit of Christmas amidst all the usual holiday busy-ness. Challenge yourself to spend just a few minutes each day for the next month pondering the wonder of Christmas!

Say “Christmas Eve” to me and I think meatballs. Mounds of delicious Swedish meatballs.

I also think of this hazy peaceful feeling that seems to crop up only on Christmas Eve, possibly due to the aforementioned meatballs. And then there’s singing Christmas carols in church whilst holding candles (all while failing to avoid the hot wax that has never been stopped by those silly little paper circle dresses).

Oh, and goodwill. I feel lots of goodwill on Christmas Eve.
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Here are a few Christmas articles and resources for you on this last Friday before Christmas.

First, two articles from Ravi Zacharias International Ministries:

The Silence of Christmas by Ravi Zacharias begins with a look on how perceptions of Christmas have changed in the United States.

The Mission of Christmas is a Christmas reflection by Betsy Childs

And from Winning at Home with Dan Seaborn:

An article about giving gifts like time and affection titled, Giving what you Can’t Wrap.

Family at Home is an article about difficult family relationships and how Christmas often exacerbates tensions.

A fun movie from Youth Ministry Exchange:

This video shows 100 Crying Children with Santa in ten minutes. They’ve prepared this as a free resource. Check out the link for more information.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

A lot of Gospel.com ministries work (or are based) in countries outside the U.S. Christmas in different parts of the world can look quite different than the tree-and-presents American version. Here are some Christmas resources that offer a slightly different take on this familiar holiday.

• What is Christmas like for Christians in Egypt? Arab World Ministries has an account of one Egyptian family’s Christmas that highlights some of the unique aspects of Christmas in the Arab world. Elsewhere on the same site is another good article about what Christmas means to Muslims—useful info for anybody involved in ministry to Muslims, or for somebody who’s just curious what Islam makes of this Jesus-focused holiday.
• The Pefeccionando a Los Santos de América Latin ministry works with local churches, missionary organizations, and institutions of higher learning in Latin America. They’ve put together an article that shows us a glimpse of what Christmas looks like in Mexico. Although Christmas traditions from the U.S. are influencing Mexican Christmas celebrations, there’s a lot of unique elements in the Mexican observation of Christmas that any Christian will find interesting.
• This third item is from the U.S., but offers a Christmas reflection from a part of the country that’s been radically changed by a natural disaster: it’s a short story about Christmas in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss has been doing a series called The King’s Dedication on her radio show Revive our Hearts that focuses on two often forgotten individuals in Christ’s life.

Simeon and Anna, who–I’ll admit–I was a bit hazy on, meet Jesus at the time of his purification. And after rereading the passage where we get to meet them, I have developed a new appreciation for their seemingly tireless devotion.

Advent is a season of contemplative expectation. We’re waiting to celebrate the birth of our savior, and this waiting was what Simeon and Anna had been doing their entire lives. So, when, for example, Simeon saw his savior it brought him such an all-consuming joy that it’s no wonder he burst into poetic prayer. From Luke 2:29-32:

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.

You can read both their accounts in Luke 2:25-40. We featured this series yesterday, but another one of our community members, Back to the Bible, have perspectives on Jesus from the points of view of Simeon and Anna that are worth your time as well.

Need help getting into the holiday spirit this Christmas? If you’re looking for a little Christmas insight, take a look at these holiday essays and articles from various Gospel.com community ministries—they’re online Christmas classics that are freshly relevant each time the holidays roll around:

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For many churches, Christmas worship services are marked by special music, and that means there are lots of opportunities for members of the congregation to contribute their musical talents to the service. If you’re helping out with worship music this Christmas—whether you’re singing in a choir, playing an instrument in a brass ensemble, or playing in a worship band—the Farsipraise ministry has some good guides to using your musical talents well. They have practical advice for musicians playing the electric guitar, bass, brass, and more. Other essays address topics like using Gregorian chant in your service and teaching new songs to the congregation, both of which are relevant this time of year. If you find these useful, see their many other articles about music and worship.