Christmas Spirit #5: Happy Birthday, Jesus!

How gracious and beautiful it is that we worship a God who makes us realize how valuable we are to Him!
It’s His birthday, and yet the purpose of his first coming was to save us and bring us into the Father’s heart!
What kind of love is this? It is God-love, it is unconditional, and it is passionately pursuing us.
Unbroken fellowship, no more separation, Christ is our bridge, our way, our truth, our light, and life.
Hallelujah! Praise God!
His love and generosity are never-ending!
Happy Birthday, Jesus! You are so worthy of our praise!

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Christmas Spirit #4: Can’t buy me Love

Recently, I read an article about some folks who’ve started a movement called, ‘The Advent Conspiracy’.
It’s a big effort to help us all to see the true meaning of Christmas and not get caught up in the stress and commercialism of Christmas as an industry. http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091215/us_time/08599194759000
I posted the link on facebook and got some interesting responses to it:
Elaine: That’s the best thing I’ve read today.
Melissa: I know, imagine how different it would be if parents just spent quality time with their kids instead of buying crap that encourages them to be little hermits in their bedrooms playing video games.
Bob: Imagine if parents just told their children they loved them, and their children believed them.

It’s my gut feeling that folks of all colors, creeds and backgrounds long for something different during this season. There’s something about this time of year that gives us reason to pause and become more reflective. Christians and non-Christians alike get caught up in that Christmas spirit . . . it’s that feeling of a little tug in your heart that longs for something more, something true and beautiful and fresh and pure, a burst of light and hope.
.
Truth be told, we long for that feeling in all seasons of life, but I guess the Christmas spirit becomes so infectious that in our humanity we find our own ways to create rituals that would fill this longing, like giving gifts and putting up decorations that shine and sparkle. But whether your Christmas is dysfunctional or like a Halmark commercial, these rituals never quite fill the void, do they?

What a wonderful thing it is that God would come to us in the very package which can fill the void: a new, beautiful, true and pure little baby, a burst of light and hope. Christ, the embodiment of love.

My Christmas wish and prayer is inspired by what Bob said: that we would all hear God telling us how much He loves us and that we would believe Him.

Free Music from entheos for CHRISTMAS TIME!!!

Listen and Download our latest album for free right now at Jamendo.com. Go directly to this link! http://lnk.ms/3Sspp MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas Spirit #3: Gratitude for our 5 senses

The gift of our 5 senses is something that we often take for granted, but it’s interesting to think about how much joy we experience through touching, tasting, smelling, hearing and seeing. Hearing Christmas music, smelling evergreen, tasting Christmas treats, the hug of someone you love . . . all of these things are so precious. It’s wonderful how this time of year can put us in touch with the capacity to feel and experience all these things in ways that make us feel more alive.
It also makes me realize how special it is that the most recent entheos album is called “Sense”. And it humbles me too, and makes me want to become more aware of my 5 senses, more grateful for them.

The song, ‘Zoning Six’ is about the five senses and also our sixth sense, our capacity for intuition and our spiritual connection with eachother and our creator.
The lyrics are simple, and I find myself wanting to live them out more and more as I get older:

Listen, live, look around
Listen, live . . .
Taste life, feel the sound
Taste life . . .
Scent of life
Remember?
Scent of life . . .

Here’s what Cheryl, Jenn & Jim had to say about our senses and the Christmas spirit:
Cheryl: baking christmas cookies, listening to christmas music , enjoying my family.. the smell of evergreen
Jenn B: Made Christmas cards with my sister tonight, drank a little wine & yes….we were singing some Christmas songs!
Jim:Being with the kids and grandkids, the music, and above all, the Love of Christ, family and freinds.

Well, said, Cheryl, Jenn and Jim. Thanks for sharing!

Christmas Spirit #2: music & nostalgia

Yesterday I got these tips for getting your Christmas cheer on:

Jenn:
-twinkly lights
-a toasty fire and red wine!
-Ella Fitzgerald singing holiday tunes & fuzzy socks too.
Ursula:
-Elvis Christmas CD
Joe:
Being home and seeing my friends and family right now would put me in the yuletide mood.
My town is well lit with lights and it is making me jonz for some family and warmth, good thing my father is on his way.
(Joe is out in New Mexico)
Amanda:
Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry christmas from the Family” (one of her favorite Christmas songs)
Elaine:
Charlie Brown Christmas cd

I’m with you Elaine! I love ‘Christmas Time is Here’. entheos does a cover of that one;)
Vince Guaraldi rocks!

Christmas Spirit #1: community

Last Sunday, thanks to the vision of Amy Searcy, there were over 60 people gathered around the Nativity display in Sayler Park singing Christmas songs. On the surface, anyone who passed by might have thought it was something very idyllic, nostalgic, like an image out of a Currier & Ives Christmas card.

To be there in the midst of it was another experience even more powerful. It was to be witness to a Catholic pastor and Methodist pastors bringing their flocks together to worship God as one body. It was the beauty of community spirit sending out a ripple effect into the neighborhood that sent choruses of love straight to heaven itself.

Afterwards, the singing continued at the Sayler Park Arts Center. Folks packed into the storefront space drinking cocoa, hot cider, and mulled wine; the atmosphere was cozy and festive. I was placed at the storefront window, mic in front mof me, with my brother Carl on my left playing guitar, and Dennis Betz on my right playing piano. It was a wonderful thing to lead the people in singing with these two fine musicians. Even my mother, who is shy about her pretty little voice, came up and sang with me, and Dennis’s dad lent us the honor of listening to him play Christmas songs that were infused with overtones of blues and jazz.

It is amazing how Christmas music can unite people like no other kind of music. Everyone can lend their voice to the songs they’ve known since childhood. It makes sense that it would be this way . . . because bringing us together into His family is really what God wants most of all.

Art & Music for Christmas Sunday, Dec. 6th 6:30pm

Join entheos for a little yuletide cheer this Sunday, December 6th, 6:30pm, at the Sayler Park Arts Center!
There’ll be hot drinks & Christmas vittles for all who attend!
Any donations made go to help the Sayler Park Village Arts Council fund community events like (free concerts and art projects with local school children) as well as helping to repair and maintain the Sayler Park Arts Center.
Location: 6557 Gracely Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45233