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Christmas Concert 2018

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

          Let the bells ring out, let hearts rejoice, it's the celebration of the day of Jesus' birth (even if we have it all wrong!)
Christmas Concert

I can't say that it's been my favorite Christmas carol, but I've loved it for years. It expresses my own sense about Christmas and the world. I chose this performance because it includes more verses from Henry Longfellow's original poem than most of those we hear. 
There doesn't seem to be anything that says "Christmas" about this orchestral piece except its title. It's beautiful, but I had to listen to it several times to realize that Michael W. Smith was putting the circus that is the world's view of Christmas in juxtaposition with the majesty that is the real Biblical Christmas. 
        While the melody of this song is beautiful, the original words offensively make a complete muddle of Scripture. The words in this version have been changed so that it is a Christmas song.
Hallelujah  (Lindsey Sterling instrumental)
         What makes this version a Christmas song is what Lindsey Sterling does with it.
      So many people miss Christ in Christmas. It is tempting to think that we have to fight to "keep Christ in Christmas." Christ may be hidden in Christmas, but He emerges in the strangest places (like vocal competitions and New York City subways) in the strangest ways. No matter how dark it may seem around us, God is not dead, nor doth He sleep... so keep your eyes open because it's clear that Jesus still shows up in places that clearly have no room for Him. Merry Christmas, and may He bless you with His presence in the coming year.
          In 1914, soldiers on the front lines observed a Christmas truce. Christmas Truce (History.com) 
          In 2014, for the 100th anniversary of that truce, Sainsbury produced this dramatized version as an ad. Sainsbury's Christmas Truce ad

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