Draw from the Well

Non-Traditional Christmas Songs

Sometimes I go for the non-traditional. Last year I shared my first list of favorite non-traditional Christmas songs here.

Here are the songs I've added to the list this year:

Future of Forestry – The Earth Stood Still
Phil Wickham – Evermore
Laura Stockton – Alleluia
Chris Tomlin – Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)
Brandon Heath – The Night Before Christmas
Francesca Battistelli – You're Here

What's your favorite non-traditional Christmas song?

Are You Expecting?

I love the Advent season. I love the anticipation and the countdown. I can't remember a time when our family didn't have an Advent calendar. Of course, as a child I was more focused on getting to the day when we got to open presents.

As an adult, the expectation of the incarnation is amazing to me. Infinite God wrapped in mortal flesh - an all-powerful Lord who chose to be a limited infant. I love trying to wrap my mind around the love motivation which is so fundamental to our faith.

I'm excited to celebrate Advent this year with my small group. I'm digging a little deeper to understand the tradition and liturgy behind the Advent traditions to make sure I get it right!

The Christian season of Advent is a time of preparation and expectation culminating in celebration. This time reminds us of the coming of the Messiah in the incarnation of Jesus, of the implications of the incarnation in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (a baby born to die!), and of the promise of the second coming when the King will return to to reign and rule.

There are many variations within traditions, but here are some constants: there should be a circle/wreath (which represents God, His eternity and endless mercy); four candles (traditionally 3 purple, 1 pink, - these remind us that Jesus is the light of the world who came into the darkness to bring us hope); a center white candle (which is called the "Christ" candle and lit on Christmas eve or Christmas).

There is no consensus on the meaning of the candles which are lit each of the Sundays before Christmas. Some people suggest that they stand for Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. Others see them representing the various characters found in the Christmas story: Patriarchs, Prophets, Joseph, Mary or Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels. Regardless, the candles are used to remind us of the story which leads to the birth of Christ. Many people use Advent as a way to keep Christ in Christmas as the season can be filled with lots of competition for our affections!

This year I will post the devo I do with my small group. Of course, this will be after the fact, but I hope it might inspire your own advent reflections!

Christmas Eve Revisited

Whew - it's been a busy few weeks.

I don't know all that you've been up to, but I wanted to make sure you got to celebrate with us at Living Water.   So here's a video you shouldn't miss:

If you weren't abe to attend our Christmas Eve services in person or online - we've posted it.  It's a great service, with an awesome message and a wonderful 12 minute-long jazz medley...our singers rocked it!  Enjoy!

Living Water's Christmas Eve Service 2010 from Church of Living Water on Vimeo.

Thank you to everyone who prepared, served, and participated in making all these services happen.  We couldn't have done it without a huge team effort!

 

Global Share the Bible Day

 

YouVersion wants to spread the word about THE WORD. 

They have declared Saturday, December 25 as "Global Share the Bible Day."

The plan is simple - on December 25, all day, take every opportunity to share anything you love about the Bible.

• Use your technology tools like Twitter, Facebook, and your blog. 
• Talk to people face to face - share with your family, friends, neighbors.
• Share your favorite verse, what God has done, the Christmas story, anything about the Bible!

Why?  Because the Bible is the story of God's love for us.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus who was the WORD MADE FLESH!

I'm sharing this with you because:

1) I really do love the Bible!

2) I love the vision and mission of YouVersion to get God's Word out to people for free!

3) Their reading plans make it easy and accessible to read scripture EVERY day!

4) I'd secretly love to win an Ipad!

 

Don't know about YouVersion?

Go here and get everything you need!

Go here and get a Bible app!

So, this Christmas day, spread the good news of God's love!

remember to use the #Bible hashtag for tweets!

 

The Christmas Story in the Age of Technology

For those of  you who missed it on FB. 

Really, just watch it again!

 

The Christmas Story According to Mark

The book of Mark is my favorite Gospel.  It's a simple book and I'm a simple gal.

But have you ever noticed that something is missing from the book of Mark?

There is no birth story in Mark. 

There's not even a mystical reference like in the book of John, who labels Jesus as "the Word".

As Mark records it, Jesus walks on the scene a grown man, heralded by the Elijah doppleganger John the Baptist: the predicted messiah ready to begin ministry.

No angels or shepherds.  No discussion of virgin births or Magi visits. 

Bethlehem is left out, as well as Mary and Joseph (Mary will show up later...)

What does this mean?

It's undoubtedly presumptious to definitavely suggest what Mark was thinking.  Yet I will give it a try.

The Gospel of Mark is a book of action.  Impatience rips through the book as Mark repeatedly suggests that Jesus "immediately" did this and that.

Mark was a young boy when he followed Jesus around.  Is it possible that he misses the significance of the birth story?

I think not.  Rather, I suspect that in Mark's frantic desire to get the story down, he realized that while the birth was significant, it was only the beginning.

One of the tragic realities of our culture is that it's easy to love the babe in the manager (uh, Talledaga Nights flash back!) yet not realize that the baby grew up to be the man who died on a cross for the sins of the world!

Mark's Son of Man is Lord.  The baby didn't stay in the manager.  He was a baby who was born to die.  The Incarnation was meant for the cross....and beyond.

Mark speads a good protion of his book giving details about the cross.  He wants his readers to get the awesome thing that was done.  The pain and the triumph.

The baby who started in the manager ends up leaving an empty tomb.  The Incarnation was the first step to vanquishing death...forever.

The Christmas Story According to John

The Gospel of John is the second book written by one of Jesus' 12 disciples (quick, what's the other one?)

Scholars mostly agree that it was the last Gospel written down.  It is not a synoptic Gospel (Matthew, Mark & Luke are.)  That's a fancy way of saying that the Gospel of John's writing style and story line are "different".  It's apparent from the first verse.

"In the beginning..." (1.1)  Where have you heard that before?  John is intentional, he takes his readers back to where it all began.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (1.1)

Unlike the story telling synoptics, the Gospel of John creates theology from the get-go.  John immediately establishes that Jesus (the Word) is a) eternal b) co-creator  and c) divine.  He was "with" God in the beginning and through him "all things were made".  Without him, "nothing" would have been made. (1:2-3)

(Do you remember how things were created in Genesis 1.  Yup, it had to do with the "word"...God spoke.)

In addition, the Word (who is a him), is life and light...for all mankind.  John recognizes that something bigger is at play...in fact a cosmic triumph of light over darkness.

Light is a big deal to John (it was also a theme in Luke).  John is a mere witness to the light, not to be confused as the light (1:6-8).

We learn that the light can be for everyone.  But some people just don't get it.  Which is a huge bummer.  Because when you get it, when you believe you get to become a child of God...a supernatural transaction.

Where Matthew and Luke see a baby, John sees God.  His Immanuel - God with us, focuses not the the human aspect but the divine wrapped in flesh:  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (1:14)

This should cause us to pause.  Cosmic deity wrapped in mortal, corruptible flesh.  WILLINGLY.

During my time as a missionary in China, I had occasion to debate the merits of various religious beliefs.  Hands down, the incarnation trumps all.  Most religious systems are based on man's aspirations to live up to a "deity's" expectations.  Jesus' plan was just the opposite: God came to us.

John reminds us that the Christmas birth story is one where the c0-creator of the universe folded omnipotence and omnipresence into flesh.  The limitless became limited. 

Because He loved us. 

Truly this is "grace upon grace." (1:16)

Merry Christmas from Simon's Cat

I love Simon's Cat. Oh so true!

Find more from Simon's Cat here.

Christmas in the City - Preview

 

Do you want a preview of some of the songs that are going to be sung at the Christmas Eve service?

(If not, stop reading!)

Here are just a few of the songs, but they are not done in the styles presented here!  Enjoy!

Caroling, Caroling

Go Tell It On the Mountain

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

O Holy Night

Silent Night

You won't want to miss the jazzy sounds, the great message from Pastor Burt, and the traditional candlelighting (with real, live candles!)

Service times:  1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, & 6:30 pm

Invite your family and friends through Facebook and our website!

See you there!

Single Christmas Survival

There's nothing like a good ole fashion holiday to reinforce the fact that  you're single!  Amid the tinsel and toys, the decorated trees and cookies, this season can be one of the most difficult of the year for people who aren't coupled.

I've lived and heard a few horror stories over the years, from the numerous times relatives comment on and poo-poo your single state ("How come a nice girl like you hasn't found someone?  What's wrong with you?") to the sheer lack of presents at the family unwrapping time.

There is actually a lot of advice (mostly good) floating around on the internet, but I thought I would list a few ideas I've had over the years for surviving the holiday season.

1) Know yourself and make a plan.

It's worth taking some time to think through  your holiday schedule and life and ponder where will be difficult times and what you can do about them.  Knowing what's important to you will help you to reinforce and focus on those times, minimizing the times which might be harder or press buttons.

Thanksgiving is usually a bummer for me, so this year a small group of gals and I created a fun holiday weekend where we played and enjoyed the time away from family.  It was refreshing and fun.

2) Celebrate your own traditions.

A great way to minimize the difficulties of the holidays is to make sure that you can substitute your own positive traditions.  Don't like to decorate the house alone?  Rally your friends for a decorating party?  Thanksgiving dinner a drag?  Hold an alternative that captures the real meaning of thanksgiving for you to focus on. Don't feel like you get enough presents? Wrap a few special personal gifts for yourself and put them under the tree.

3) Count your blessings and seek to bless others.

Remember it's not all about  you.  Taking your focus off yourself can be one of the huge steps that propels you past depression into bliss.  How can you bless others during the holiday season?  This might be serving your family or serving at the local homeless shelter.  Rather than resenting the unaware couples in your life - appreciate them.  Don't fall into the trap of stewing over your own situation because it won't be helpful.

4) Hang in there - this too shall pass.

Making peace with your singleness is a yearlong, daily endeavor.  It's much bigger than the holidays.  It won't be Christmas forever.  Remember that your ultimate goal is to be happy and healthy no matter what state or stage of life.  Don't let the holidays overwhelm this endeavor.

Find a friend or couple to process through some of what  your experience and help you to make a plan to survive the holidays. 

Here are a few questions to help you begin the process:

• What tradition(s) is special to you and how will you celebrate it this season?
• Which time/event will be the most difficult for you during this season and who can help you process a success strategy?
• How can you serve your family this season?  The couples in your life?

What are ways you've found to survive singleness during the holiday season?