In the days leading up to Christmas it’s a great time to discover the old and the new of this amazing holiday! This season is filled with good old favorites like snickerdoodles and spiral hams and favorite hymns and family times. But it’s also a great time to journey into the new expressions of this beautiful time of year. This week’s Music Monday is all about cherishing the tradition of Christmas past with a new twist. 

This Sunday we had a beautiful voice sing this song that I had never before heard. The message of the song is so powerful and so fitting for this Advent and Christmas season. As we light another candle on the advent wreath it’s time to unite our voices in a way that brings the realization of what this time of year is all about. 

It’s tempting to make this time of year about gifts and trees, Santa and stockings but really those are meant to point us to the real thing. The gifts are meant to remind us of the greater gift of Christmas, namely Jesus the one we call Emmanuel – God With Us. The lights remind us that he’s the light of the world. The evergreen tree reminds us that he’s ever alive and always with us. The jolly man in the red suit should serve to remind us that one greater than Santa gave us a gift greater than anything that will be beneath our trees. 

This week as we find ourselves staring at Christmas morning only a couple of weeks away, take a moment to pause and realize the meaning of this season. Let this Christmas bring an overwhelming sense of peace. Let this world stop for just a bit and find a moment to rest in the peace the passes all understanding. Rest in the loving arms of the savior Jesus who’s very name Emmanuel is a reminder that God is forever with you!