Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." This is my feeble attempt at examining my life.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

>Words of Good Cheer... Filling the Air

12:44 PM Posted by Daniel Rose 2 comments
>by Robin Schmidt

Have you hauled out the holly? Decked the halls? Do you hear jingle bells? Silver bells? Are you simply having a wonderful Christmas time?

The sounds of Christmas...music.

Music is an amazing and powerful thing. It can set a mood, or take you back in time. Words and sound combine and together give expression to our deepest emotions.

If I am alone in the house I will sit by the lit tree and play Amy Grant...Breath of Heaven, Little Town of Bethlehem, Emmanuel. I listen and contemplate and pray.

If I am out and about I enjoy Paul McCartney's Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time, it has a cheerful energy.

Silver Bells takes me to my Grandma's house on the east side.

Growing up I opened gifts to the sound of Johnny Mathus.

No one does Jingle Bells like Barbara Streisand (upsot?).

My favorite carols are God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and O Holy Night.

What about you? What is the Christmas music of your childhood? What is your favorite carol? Why? I would love to hear about the music that touches you.

P.S. Don't let this Sunday, December 9th, be a silent night. Come to Grace Chapel at 7pm for One Starry Night. We will be filling the air with the sounds of Christmas.