Songs of Advent
Weekly Advent Readings
The music we sing at Christmas…
… helps us to remember the story of Jesus and fill our hearts with hope, peace, love and joy. These weekly advent readings should serve to encourage your hearts as you learn the stories behind some of our most beloved Christmas songs.
We encourage you to set some time aside with your family each week, to meditate on each reading.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Week of November 30th
WEEK 01 | HOPE
Imagine, for a moment, the difficult days of 1816 in a small church in Austria. Your congregation has barely survived years of war. Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and influential French military leader and emperor, sought to expand French power across Europe. There’s been twelve years of fighting. Families mourn the loss of young sons to battle. And your community is not only tired, but weak. Not only that, the weather is wild. This is the “Year without a Summer”. You don’t know it because there is no internet or Weather Channel yet, but the eruption of Mt. Tambora in Indonesia is the reason there are continuous storms, including snow in the summer. The war and these strange weather patterns have pushed you to the brink. Your congregation and villages all across the country are thrown into poverty, and because your crops have failed, there’s widespread famine. As you and everyone you know grapples with what is taking place, life feels like a chapter out of the book of Revelation. And it is against this backdrop, that you hear, for the first time, the sweet words of this song, on a cold night before Christmas in your little church:
Silent night, Holy night. All is calm. All is bright.
Ever since those words were sung to a small congregation of boat-builders in a little Austrian town, they have brought great hope to people around the world. Silent Night, one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time, was written by a young Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr, to comfort his fearful, discouraged congregation. As the darkness seemed to overwhelm his church and as hope started to dwindle like a candle burnt down to the last inch of its wick, he wrote the song to encourage. And did it ever spark hope! The song spread throughout Germany. Missionaries sang it from Tibet to Alaska and within a few years it found its way to the Inuit people at the highest reaches of Northern Canada. It even ministered to soldiers on the battlefield. Perhaps you’ve heard the famous story during World War I, how German and British soldiers declared a temporary truce on Christmas Eve. Gunfire stopped. Fighting ceased. And the enemy soldiers joined together to sing Silent Night together. A song of hope in the trenches. Glory be to God! For only He can quiet our war-torn world with a message of hope.
It doesn’t take much to imagine a world in trouble, for we see evil and darkness at work all around us. We all know people right now who, like the traumatized and frightened congregation in the small Austrian town, need to know that there is a God who loves us, a God who cares. As we prepare our hearts for Advent, we remember today that God sent His only Son into the world so that we could truly have hope.
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1 Peter 1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
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Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peaceSilent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is bornSilent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
WEEK 02 | PEACE
Week of December 7th
It is well, (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul
These words have rung through the hearts of believers for more than 150 years. They are the deep cry from the heart to God. You might not think of it as a Christmas song, but it fits so well in times where we seek and desire peace.
Peace in a world with unexplainable tragedy.
Peace in a world where darkness often looks like it will win.
Peace in the hearts of women and men who experience unspeakable challenges.
Peace because the God who made us and loves us gives a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Perhaps you know the story of this song. It was written by a man named Horatio Spafford in 1873. The lyrics came to him when he was at sea. Why was he in a boat on his way to England? Just days before, Horatio was in Chicago, preparing to travel to Europe to help the evangelist D.L. Moody with his revival services. His wife and four daughters traveled ahead of him, sailing across the Atlantic. He stayed behind for a few days to deal with a zoning issue with their house. Like so many in the city, Horatio and his family lost their home in the great fire of Chicago a few years before. They lost everything and were rebuilding their lives. In the midst of this busy week, planning to join his sweet family and dealing with the hassles of bureaucracy, he received a telegram that forever changed his life. It was a short note. Six words from his wife Anna: “Saved alone. What shall I do?” The tragedy of losing his home to a fire was suddenly a small thing. Because with those six words, sent across the ocean by wire, Horatio learned that he’d lost his most precious gift: his four beautiful daughters drowned. The boat they were on was shipwrecked. Only his wife survived. There are no words to describe the grief, the pain, the sorrow like sea billows that rolled against that man as he came to terms with his loss. And famously, as he sailed to England to meet his wife and mourn with her, the ship's captain stopped the boat at the spot where the tragedy occurred so that Horatio could mourn and remember his daughters. And that’s when the words to this song dropped into his soul. Words became flesh. Peace came into life’s storm. Jesus entered his experience and brought comfort and hope.
As we prepare for the joy of Christmas, so many of us are also reminded of deep pain and grief. Friends and family who are no longer here. Unresolved hurts or sorrows that billow or roll against us. When we light the candle of peace, we remember that Jesus came to bring peace into our world and into our lives. Only Jesus can teach our troubled hearts to say, no matter what we face, that “It is well, it is well with my soul.” Let the peace of God fill your heart this Advent season.
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Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. -
When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soulIt is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soulThough Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soulIt is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soulMy sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
Week of December 14th
WEEK 03 | JOY
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he performs amazing deeds.
His right hand and his mighty arm accomplish deliverance.”
These words, from Psalm 98, are the basis for one of the most famous Christmas carols of all time. It’s a song that stirs up the heart and prepares the way for Christmas celebrations every year. And some people call it an “accidental Christmas classic.” Christians have sung the song for more than 300 years. If I were to hum the tune right now, you’d know it instantly.
Joy to the World.
But did you know that it wasn’t written as a Christmas song? Isaac Watts, who has been called “the greatest name among hymn-writers” wrote it as a poem to highlight how Christ fulfills Old Testament scripture. He wrote it to help people imagine Christ’s return at the end of time. The song helps us to herald our King, but not in the way the writer intended.
And isn’t that sort of perfect? That a favorite Christmas carol is an unexpected hit. A surprise that no one could have planned for? It sounds like the story of Christmas itself. God’s people awaited a Savior. They imagined a conquering King. But he didn’t arrive with a host of soldiers, their armor shining, weapons ready, impressing the nations with power and might. Their Messiah didn’t come to them from a famous family whose wealth and influence impressed the world. And He didn’t fall from heaven in a flame of light, the whole world turning to the sky, aware of his arrival. No, he came to a humble stable, born to a poor and unknown family, a helpless baby. He was easily overlooked. His heralds were humble shepherds. His welcome committee donkeys and sheep: King of Kings and Lord of Lords who rules the world with truth and grace. As a humble servant, obedient to his Father, He makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and the wonders of His love.
As we prepare for advent, let every heart prepare Him room. Let the joy of Jesus fill your heart this advent season. Welcome our surprising Savior into your heart and homes and may he do the unexpected.
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Psalm 98:1-9
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity. -
Joy to the world,
the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n
and nature sing, and heav'n,
and heav'n and nature sing.Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make
His blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of
His righteousness
and wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders, wonders of His love.
Week of December 21st
WEEK 04 | LOVE
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
These famous and tender lines from the song Away in a Manger capture the love of the church for Christ. “For God so loved the world,” John declares in one of the most well-known scriptures, “that he gave his only Son.” The love of God brought the most incredible love story to life: Jesus, came into the world and left the glory of heaven to save us. The love of God incarnate was lived out among us.
Ever since the manger, the love of God has empowered others to love sacrificially like Jesus. The love of God gives vision to believers to imagine that even the hardest heart can soften and change. You can probably think of many such stories. One example that stands out from history is the story of St. Patrick. He’s known now as the patron saint of Ireland. But he wasn’t Irish. And you probably don’t think about him at Christmas. When you hear his name you might think of the month of March, St. Patrick’s Day, and the color green.
So, travel back over a thousand years to a small village in Scotland way back in the 4th century. A young teenager is out in the fields, on another beautiful day in the countryside that he loves. But, suddenly, violent men storm into the area with torches and swords. These Irish raiders burn down his village.The pillagers loot farms and homes like his, steal cattle and any riches they can find. And they capture slaves. Patrick is taken from his family. Bound. Kidnapped. Dragged kicking and screaming to Ireland. He is only 15 years old. And he’s forced to work as a shepherd. Cut off from his family. Separated from his community.
Alone.
It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? So much trauma. Fear. Sadness. Grief. But it was in these circumstances that Patrick found God during the seven long years he was forced to shepherd those Irish sheep. Then, at the age of 22, he escaped. What would you do? Go home to see who is still alive, of course. Find your family and friends. But then what? Gather a group of men, pick up weapons, get revenge? Fight back? Most of us probably would. But not this young man. Despite the terrible circumstances, the love of God found Patrick and reached into his heart. In those lonely years that he was forced to be a shepherd, he learned to hear God’s voice in the quiet fields, just like David. And he started to understand what the Incarnation really means: to leave everything you love and live among the lost, just like Jesus did.
After he escaped, Patrick went back to Ireland. But not for revenge. He went to share God’s love. Of his own will. Patrick returned to Ireland to preach the gospel to the very people who enslaved him. And he worked as a missionary among the Irish for the rest of his life. From the outside looking in, that might sound crazy. And it was: the crazy, incarnate love of God at work that changed an entire nation.
The love of God changes us, surprises us, and moves us to love others in unexpected ways. It’s that very love that moved God to send his Son as a little babe in a manger so we could be saved. Let this love fill your heart and boldly move you this Advent season.
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John 3:16-17
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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
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Did you know that St. Patrick’s story inspired the famous hymn Be Thou My Vision? Reflect on the lyrics of Be Thou My Vision woven together with Away in A Manger.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my lightRiches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou artAway in a manger, no crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hayBe near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And take us to Heaven to live with Thee thereHigh King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys or bright Heaven's Sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all
Do you remember the first song you ever heard on the radio? (A radio, by the way, is a way to send electromagnetic signals over a long distance, to deliver sound from one place to another. A machine that sends these radio waves is called a transmitter, and the machine that "picks up" the signals is called a receiver or antenna. It’s how your grandparents used to listen to music. Before Spotify or iTunes).
Believe it or not, there was a time when people didn’t hear songs over the airwaves or on any device. But then, on a cold winter night in 1906 the sweet sound of one of our most beloved Christmas carols interrupted the quietness of the night and filled the airwaves, the first song ever to be played on the radio. In the town of Brant Rock, Massachusetts, Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, set up a microphone in a little studio and played the song on the violin. It was 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and families were gathered in their homes ready to celebrate Christmas. After he played the beautiful song he read the famous words from Luke’s gospel:
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will."
What a wonderful thought that a new technology would be used in such a way, to declare the gospel and share the good news about Jesus. In our world of radio and podcasts and social media where every minute of every day people share, make noise, fill the airwaves, it is refreshing to look at this exciting moment in time. How wonderful that Reginald used this new platform to spread the good news.
The lyrics of O Holy Night have touched lives for more than 150 years in languages around the world. In churches and performance halls, on YouTube and over the radio. And that is because it spreads the message that Christ is the light that shone into our darkness. That God loves us with an everlasting love and gave everything to rescue us from sin and despair. That Jesus is truly the hope of the world who gives meaning to our lives.
As you celebrate the hope, peace, joy and love that is ours this Christmas–through fellowship and generosity and worship–may your heart overflow. And may those who have yet to hear the good news hear it for the first time, from you.
WEEK 05 | HOPE, PEACE, LOVE, JOY
Christmas Eve
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Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was bornO night, O Holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bendTruly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim