1 Thought from Me

It's both easy and challenging to plan for Advent & Christmas services. It's easy in the sense that most people are happy to sing their favorite carols. As long as the musicians don't do something that obscures or messes up the carol, people will enjoy it and be edified by the words. But it’s also challenging because we tell the same story each season and we want things to feel fresh.

Perhaps we should like about service planning like we do arranging songs. If it’s a great song, even if you have a mediocre arrangement the melody and words will carry it. If it’s a bad song, often no amount of arranging will make it better.

The melody of Christmas is the best ever. Don’t get so excited the production that we don't convey the message. If anything deserves beautiful creativity, the story of the Messiah's arrival does. But make sure the message of Him is what everyone walks away with.

2 Quotes

I.
Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again. George Whitefield (Source)

II.
Four thousand years from the creation
The world lay groaning under sin.
No one could e’er expect salvation,
No one could enter Heaven.
’Twas Adam’s fall had damned us all
To Hell, to endless pains forlorn:
’Twas so decreed we’d have ne’er been freed,
Had not this heavenly Babe been born. - Anonymous (Source)

3 Opposite Songs

Three songs that are opposite of traditional carols:

I.
It was not a silent night, there was blood on the ground.
You could hear a woman crying in the middle of the night
On the streets of David’s town - Andrew Peterson (Source)

II.
O come, all you unfaithful,
come, weak and unstable,
come, know you are not alone.
O come, barren and waiting ones,
Weary praying, come,
See what your God has done.

Christ is born, Christ is born
Christ is born for you. - Lisa Clow & Bob Kauflin (Source)

III.
Silent night, lonely night,
All but calm, all but bright.
Darkened clouds have hidden God’s face,
Deepening doubts have veiled his grace.
Have you heard our cries? - Lacy Condy & Lisa Clow (Source)