Using the echo technique, this setting of the Christmas carol "Angels We Have Heard on High" captures the sense of shared joy as earth joins heaven in celebrating Jesus' birth. Straightforward rhythms and few bell changes make this an excellent piece for beginning and intermediate choirs.
What could be more familiar than the Christmas story--and yet what could be more extraordinary? The cast of characters is strange and exotic: shepherds and magicians, an emperor and a despot, angels, and a baby who is Almighty God. The strangeness calls for an explanation, and this book provides it by examining the characters and the story in light of the biblical and historical context. Bestselling author Scott Hahn who has written extensively on Scripture and the early Church, brings evidence to light, dispelling some of the mystery of the story. Yet Christmas is made familiar all over again by showing it to be a family story. Christmas, as it appears in the New Testament, is the story of a father, a mother, and a child--their relationships, their interactions, their principles, their individual lives, and their common life. To see the life of this "earthly trinity" is to gaze into heaven.
Popular CSS author Cynthia Cowen returns with three more imaginative programs that will spice up the Advent/Christmas season for any size congregation. Prepare Your Heart For Christmas is a service of carols and reflections that's perfect for a midweek Advent program. Designed as a youth program, Advent Bells includes a brief skit with bell ringers and unique chorus songs. We Welcome The Light Of Christmas is a memorable family service for Christmas Eve with a humorous sketch about the Good News and a lost Frisbee which has turned into the Christmas star. A prolific and enthusiastic writer of worship resources, Cynthia E. Cowen has produced numerous pieces for CSS Publishing Company since 1991. She received a B.A. degree in education from Northern Michigan University and is a graduate of the Northern Great Lakes Synod Lay School for Mission. Cowen serves on synod leadership teams for youth, women, and clergy, was a licensed lay minister in a small congregation, and is currently a rostered Associate in Ministry in Youth And Family at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Iron Mountain, Michigan. She was elected to the Executive Board of the churchwide Women of the ELCA in 1996, and has served on its Printed Resources committee.
"This is an illustrated book full of wonderful activities for children and families to help them better understand and celebrate the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons. Family activities include making an advent wreath, a Jesse Tree with all its symbols, cloth Nativity figures, words for singing 21 Advent and Christmas songs, recipes for special cakes and breads and more. Also included are stories of special saints for the season with activities and prayers" -- Back cover.
Christmas: A Festival of Incarnation is a lively, engaging introduction to the history of Christmas: where it comes from, what meanings it holds, and why it is our most treasured celebration. From the origins of Christmas in the sacred texts - of early Christianity to the figure of Santa Claus to the commercial spree of today, Donald Heinz's work is a marvelous pilgrimage through lived religion as it appears in folkways, music, literature, and artùand includes a gallery of images, each capturing the spirit and significance of the nativity story. Provocative and persuasive, this insightful book shows how our "festival of incarnation" invites "wide-angled amazement" at the rich popular and theological meanings that this celebration holds. "Heinz offers a splendid overview on Christmas, blending history, theology, festival culture, and lived religious experiences. Readers will learn from it, perhaps be inspired by it. Recommended reading for both the faithful and those caught up in the spirit of the season but not quite Sure why or how."-Wade Clark Roof J.F Rowny Professor of Religion University of California at Santa Barbara
“I’ve always loved Christmas. The topics in this book remind me why.”—ERIC METAXAS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON Celebrate the holidays with CHRISTMAS 40 DAYS DEVOTIONAL, a devotional that delivers the reader into the wonder and enchantment of the holiness of the season. Christ arrived as a newborn to free the world – a gift freely given by a loving God to His children, who, though far from perfect, may always find forgiveness at His table. The book encourages and coaches readers to embrace a full forty days of Christmas and carry its enduring message in their hearts throughout the year. From the wife and husband writing team and Christian home education advocates Mrs. Sam and Kevin, Sorbo, authors of Share the Light: 40 World-Changing Devotions and Teach from Love: A School Year Devotional for Families, this Christian devotional is the perfect gift for your loved ones and anyone who wants to celebrate or needs God's grace and support during the holidays. A CHRISTMASTIME DEVOTIONAL FOR FAMILIES INVITING A SPIRIT OF HUMBLE DEVOTION FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND THE COMING NEW YEAR
It's Christmastime. Snow covers the ground. Cardinals fly about Warwickshire. And Hazel is not giving up. Her mother has passed, her elder brother is missing, and she wants no part of her father's plans. He is much too angry for her to agree. Impulsive by nature with an aptitude for mischief, Hazel Ansbro finds herself in a predicament when her father, the local vicar, decides to try his hand at finding her another suitor. This would be his seventh attempt to do so. After finding a letter on his desk addressed to a family on the other side of town, she knows his plan: to send her off to learn proper manners. If it was up to her, she would never leave, especially with her younger brothers still around. Instead, she makes her own plan and begins her tirade of mischievous acts. It all begins with a dumped inkwell, hiding in a cabinet, and spying on a certain bookshop keeper. Will the dropping temperatures, her horse, a bookshop keeper, and holiday spirit calm her? Or will her father succeed? The question is answered. But how? A lavender rose, sermons, billiards, lemon tea, a community carol, and a certain gazebo may be the key to unlocking the betrayal, the sadness, and the fear lingering in her heart. Perhaps.
Celebrate the holiday like a Victorian with authentic dishes and customs beloved by all, from the working classes to the royal family. Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, a descendant of Charles Dickens, reveals the fascinating tale of Christmas traditions during Queen Victoria’s reign. In 1843, while Dickens was inventing the Christmas ghost story, a London civil servant commissioned the first Christmas card and Windsor Castle displayed artificial Christmas trees and served turkeys for Christmas dinner. During the next five years, the first recipe for Christmas pudding appeared, Christmas crackers debuted, and a London newspaper showcased Christmas trees to the world. Hawksley explores these customs and more so you can experience the season authentically to period. Feast on Roast Goose with Sage and Onion Stuffing, Brussels Sprouts on Buttered Toast, and Christmas Cake while sipping a Cratchit Christmas Twist or Smoking Bishop Punch. Craft Golden Walnuts, Kissing Bunches, and Pomanders. Play board games such as Balderdash and Pachisi or parlor games including Charades and Snapdragon. Take a Christmas swim or sing “Christmastide” by Christina Rossetti. Meticulously researched, this festive collection will make your yuletide merry.