AS WE MOVE iNTO THE SEASON EACH YEAR, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that most of us have during this month. As we talk about during Advent Conspiracy, in this season of cultural consumption, it takes a conscious effort to focus less on the stuff and more on and our loved ones. The time we choose to spend with those we love has far longer lasting dividends than the latest toy set or tie or box of ever could. With that in mind, we want to offer this collection of Advent devotionals, based on lessons we can learn from some very well known (and some less known) songs. We hope these devotionals will bring focus to your preparation for Christmas and offer a way to spend time focusing on God with those you love. 1. The Little Drummer Boy Jon Mueller // Operations

The Little Drummer Boy has always been one of my favorite Christmas carols. My extended family has a tradition of gathering on Christmas Day to read a devotional and sing Christmas carols. Inevitably we sing The Little Drummer Boy; it’s one of our favorites. The carol begins with the boy joining the Magi, or Wise Men, as they honor the newborn King. The boy realizes he has no gift fit for the King and in the end, he offers himself, playing the drum. One of the reasons I like the carol is that I too have nothing I can give the King in exchange for His grace. What I can try to do, though, is give Him myself and be obedient to Him.

Q: As you prepare for the King, are you playing your “drum” your best for Him? 2. Fredric Gluck // IT

Sorry folks. Nothing about Christ in Jingle Bells. Not even a remote hint of Christmas in this one. Nope. It’s all about having fun on a sleigh ride in the middle of winter on a snowy night with a date. The fact that we think a song originally written for Thanksgiving has anything to do with Christmas probably says a lot about how we look everywhere we can to fill those empty personal holes that pop open this time of year. We’re not celebrating Sleigh-mas, Jingle-mas, Snow-mas or Bell-mas. We’re celebrating Christmas for HIS sake. Let’s never forget that and work to fill our hearts with Christ in this season.

Q: This Christmas, what are we really celebrating and filling our “holes” with? 3. Silent Night Laura Bruess // Operations

Our lives hustle and bustle; whether it’s work, school, appointments, to-do lists or even our smart phones, there are many things that make the rhythm of our lives more prone to activity and noise than to rest and silence. The song Silent Night, on the other hand, sets a quiet and calm scene in which the sole activity is focusing on the newborn Savior. There are no distractions, no expectations that those present get back to their to-do lists. There is just a complete presence with Christ. And while the song doesn’t tell us definitively, I think it’s a safe guess to say that the people present didn’t regret this time and weren’t disappointed about the things on their to-do lists they didn’t get to. Though our lives need attention and there are many good things we can spend our time on, everything ultimately pales in comparison to spending time focusing on God. There is simply no substitute for taking time to pause, step away from the distractions and take in the radiance of God and the gift of His redeeming grace.

Q: How can we adjust the rhythms of our lives to allow for more intentional time focusing on God? 4. WhAt Child is This? Jimmy Bero // Student Ministries

In the first four books of the New Testament, the authors share 183 encounters where people ask Jesus a question, to which Jesus offers a nice, direct answer only four times. The other 179 conversations involve stories, parables, metaphors or roundabout responses that challenge the question-asker to search their heart for what they really believe. It’s not that Jesus didn’t know the answers (obviously He did). Jesus seems to be putting a value on our questions, and our search for answers, rather than the answer itself. And that search starts with Jesus. The song What Child is This? is a reminder to us to continually ask this same question as we develop a deeper, stronger, more profound view of who Jesus is, and how he calls us to live in relationship with him.

Q: How are we growing in our knowledge of Jesus during this season? 5. Deck the HAlls Amanda Waller // Operations

There is nothing I love more than decking the halls for Christmas. The garland, the candles, the sparkle and of course, the tree! For me, the season can easily become more about what Christmas looks like on the outside, instead of how Christ is using the Advent season to change me on the inside. This is a constant struggle I face - not just at Christmas. I get so fixated on the outward appearance, the things I am doing, that I neglect taking time to reflect on how Christ is working in my life. I’ve learned that I often perform behavior modification (outside), instead of what Christ really desires for me, heart transformation (inside).This is especially true when I am experiencing a hard time in my relationship with God. God desperately wants us to know Him in a deeply rooted relationship more than he wants us to keep up a “good Christian” appearance. Without heart change, there is no life change. In all reality, God doesn’t care about how my actions look from the outside, the “boughs of holly”. He cares about my heart being in a daily communal and committed relationship with Him. “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Q: In what ways are you performing behavior modification instead of allowing God to perform heart transformation in you this Advent season? 6. ChristmAs Unicorn by SufjAn Stevens* Paul Berkbigler // Worship Arts

It’s surprising that Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas Unicorn exists in the first place. It’s a rare carol that pits the heart of the Christmas story against the modern festival that Christmas has become. “Oh, I’m a Christian holiday, I’m a symbol of original sin. I’ve a pagan tree, and a magical wreath, and bow-tie on my chin.” The song pairs the image of a unicorn with the celebration of Christmas, borrowing something impossibly rare to revisit the deep mystery of the Christ child, in a manger, surrounded by a huddle of humanity. The carol highlights how mutated our cultural version Christmas is, peeling away traditions to see the hybrid central to Christmas: God & man, made one, in Christ. Christmas Unicorn crescendos by observing the mark Christ left on humankind. Such a sublime way to close and open another year.

“For you’re a Christmas Unicorn, I have seen you on the beat. You may dress in the human uniform, child... But I know you’re just like me.”

Q: What steps can you take this season to remember the unique mark that Christ has left on your life?

*See lyrics in the appendix at the end of the devotional 7. Angels We HAve HeArd On High Travis Agnew // Worship Arts

The title of this song hits me with the power of “hearing”. What do we hear amidst the frenzied noise of our days? We are constantly surrounded by sounds and voices, but what have we really heard? What is it that we want to hear and what will we choose to celebrate? This song gives us a little glimpse into the wild worship of the almighty God of heaven breaking into earth.

Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”(NLT)

Oh, that we would position ourselves to hear from God daily and that our faith and desire for God would spill over with shouts of celebration so that many others would hear the good news. We have the amazing opportunity to join in heaven’s unending song: “Gloria, in excelsis Deo” - glory to God in the highest.”(Luke 2:13-14)

Q: Have you heard from God recently? What has He been speaking to you? 8. We Three Kings Larissa Anderson // Communications

Have you ever travelled somewhere to do or see something special: a football game at Lambeau Field, a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre? Most of us have things in our lives that we go to great lengths to experience…sometimes it’s hard work to get there, but in the end, it’s worth it. The story told in We Three Kings is a biblical version of something like that. The kings travelled from afar seeking only to lay gifts at the feet of a baby who would be their Savior. During this season, when we often have a more acute focus on the event of Jesus’ birth, it’s a great time to remember how lucky we are to have such easy access to our Savior. We don’t need to travel thousands of miles to be in His presence. This simple reminder from Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find” should be our guide. Jesus is waiting; we must only choose to seek Him.

Q: What do you during a typical day to seek time in Jesus’ presence? 9. AwAy in A MAnger Christie Wolfe // Communications

This Christmas season will be a unique one for my family, as we will be welcoming our second child. In anticipation of meeting my son, I love him tremendously and feel extremely protective of him. How much more must our God care for us? The very author of love knowingly sent His Son in the most vulnerable way to live in a world that would inevitably bring him intense pain and heartache, all because His love for us is that great. As we await the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for the unimaginable depths of His love for each of us through the incredible gift of Jesus.

Q: As we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus, what are some ways you can remind yourself of the depths of God’s great love for each of us? 10. O Little Town of Hannah Busse // Worship Arts

“How still...” “How silently…” “No ear may hear…” This carol reminds me of something I’m prone to forget in this busy season: Christ entered the world in quietness and humility, and His presence with me is found the same way. In the silent, still spaces, a humble spirit grows in me that is ready to “receive Him still.” When I am constantly hurried (as I often am during the holidays), I’m liable to miss out on Christ entirely. I’m also prone to not really be fully present with the people who are right in front of me. Christ came to “abide with us,” as the carol says, which means to remain or stay with us – not to hurry on to the next thing. His “withness” is such a precious gift to us, and it’s a gift we can pass on to those around us - if we can overcome the temptations of hurry and noise and find in their place the gift of presence.

Q: What is something tangible I can do in this season to embrace stillness and be fully present with Christ and the people around me? 11. HArk the HerAld Angels Sing Kelle Anderson // Care Ministries

“Hark! (Listen up!), the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king, peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled...” I remember listening to this song as a new teenage believer. I wanted to shout to my parents going about their domestic tasks, “Did you hear that? God and me, a sinner, are reconciled and now all sinners can be in relationship with God. This changes everything! This is the most awesome news ever! Oh yeah!” I just wanted to sing, dance, express how wonderful this new life was. I could imagine those angels having a party when Jesus hit the earthly scene.

Well, many years have passed since my first Christmas as a Christ- follower. The initial wonder and overwhelming joy has changed. Like you, I’ve endured the hits of life and its constant demands and stresses. But when I take time to really rest in the presence of God, I return to the awe and wonder of “God and sinners reconciled.” and before I know it I want to sing, dance, write, give voice (with the angels) to this miracle of life with God.

Q: What helps you stay anchored in the reality that you are reconciled to God and how do you express your awe, wonder and gratefulness? Whatever it is... sing it, draw it, dance it, write about it, serve through it, lead from it.... make it known with the angels! 12. O Come, O Come EmmAnuel Joel Hassenzahl // Worship Arts

This carol is one of my favorite Advent carols. We sing it at Christmas- time, but the tone and lyrical content convey its message of longing. Generation after generation, the people of God were waiting and longing for the promised Messiah. They went through exile and captivity. They were uprooted from home and from the temple where God’s presence dwelled. Perhaps they felt abandoned. It’s in that kind of desperation that word came to Joseph through an angel: He will be called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Each year I try to reflect on that sense of desperate longing that they might have experienced living in utter darkness and holding out for just a glimpse of the dawn. It gives me better perspective for truly experiencing the joy that God is with us!

Q: When was the last time you were amazed by the reality that God is with us? How does that affect your day-to-day life? 13. The First Noel Christie Wolfe // Communications

Lights are everywhere during the Christmas season. As soon as it’s socially acceptable (and oftentimes much sooner), people roll out their red and green storage bins and create magnificent displays of LED holiday merriment. I get so excited when I see this because it serves as my justifiable prompt to start cramming as much peppermint-flavored cheer into one month as possible. But if I take a step back and hit pause, these lights are another hollow distraction from what really fills me up all year long: the truth of our Lord and Savior, whose light cuts through the darkness of a world lost without Him.

“And to the earth, it gave great light / And so it continued both day and night / Noel, noel, noel, noel / born is the King of Israel.”

Q: In a season where bright shiny lights can steal your attention at every turn, what brings you back to focusing on the light and hope that Jesus brought into this world? 14. Let it Snow Daniel Owen // Blackhawk Fitchburg

One of my favorite things about snow is that when it starts to fall there seems to be an internal switch that triggers us to slow down and gather together with those we love; it’s one of the best parts about the Christmas season. In Pennsylvania, where we lived before moving to Madison, towns would shut down because of snow. At first it was annoying that stores would close and people would cancel activities, but the closures did free up time for people to be together. For me and others, sometimes it takes something outside of ourselves, like snow, to remind us of the warmth of being with those you love. God gave us the people in our lives to challenge us, cause us to grow, but also to love and be loved by.

Q: We measure what matters most by what we give our time to. What do you give your time to most? Are those the right things? 15. MAybe this ChristmAs by Ron Sexsmith* Dan Lawonn // Worship Arts

Hope takes a lot of courage, I think. It’s pretty easy (perhaps especially so for winter-hardened upper-Midwesterners) to be resigned to the idea that things probably won’t work out well, embracing a kind of realism that expects to be disappointed. When I think about Christmas, though, it seems like we’re given a challenge to be stubbornly hopeful, to look at the brokenness around us and strain against it with a yearning for restoration. In the “already, but not yet” nature of the kingdom of God in which we live, we get to work together towards seeing that divine hope realized in our marriages, families, friendship, jobs, civic responsibilities, etc. That’s why I love this song (well, that and the fact that Ron Sexsmith is a master songwriter): regardless of how things have been in the past, maybe this Christmas we’ll see new grace and forgiveness and peace grow.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Q: What are you hoping and praying for this Christmas? What could you do to help see that hope realized?

*See lyrics in the appendix at the end of the devotional 16. Still, Still, Still Linda Hershberger // Blackhawk Fitchburg

Still, Still, Still has its roots as an Austrian lullaby and . I first fell in love with it when we sang it a cappella in our high school Christmas concert. It has an endearing melody and harmonies that take you right to the scene of a young mother singing to her newborn. As I get lost in the song, it also reminds me that I need to be still in order to hear His voice this season. He is not going to shout over all my hustle and bustle. I need to sit in His presence and listen. He will meet me there while the world rushes on – what a privilege! To have an appointment with the King of Glory! Isn’t that what this season is about? God coming down in human form to meet us where we are? Get lost in that thought today – that Jesus humbled himself to meet us where we are. Take time to be still, pause and soak in the glorious knowledge that Jesus came for you.

Q: What reminds you to be still and listen? How can you make this a daily practice - an appointment with the King? 17. CArol of the Bells Larissa Anderson // Communications

From hand bell choirs to Christmas cantatas to the California Raisins, Carol of the Bells has been immortalized as . While it actually began its life as a Ukrainian folksong lauding the coming of a bountiful year, it was co-opted by an American choir director in the 1930’s. Those first four powerful notes reminded him of bells and the rest is history.

The rewritten lyrics talk about bells announcing the joy of the coming of Christmas: “From everywhere, filling the air”…“O’er hill and dale”…”to every home.” This song feels like a great analogy to how I should share the joy of Christ with those around me. The way I live and the words I say, especially during a season that can bring out impatience and frustration, should tell the story of good news for all people, “to young and old, meek and the bold”. The quiet, humble joy of knowing Jesus and being settled in my worth in Him should emanate from me. It should dictate how I respond in all situations, from the most pleasant to the most frustrating.

Q: What situations during this season would give you opportunities to share your “Carol” with those around you? 18. Once in RoyAl DAvid’s City Piper Vollmer // Worship Arts

It has long been my family’s tradition to listen to A Festival of , broadcast live from King’s College, Cambridge on the morning (morning here, anyway) of . We are always hushed next to the radio when the service opens with Once in Royal David’s City. The first verse of the carol is delivered acapella by a young solo boy chorister and, if I’m honest, my family’s silence at this moment is usually more nervous than reverent. We can’t get past the fact that this child soloist is informed of his duty just prior to the service and that he will sing to millions. But the boys honored with this tradition in my years of listening have stronger nerves than we do and I’ve never heard one falter.

One Christmas Eve, years ago, I was working as a baker. As I left the early moning shift, the broadcast was set to start. It was clear I wouldn’t make in time to share the moment with my family so I pulled over to listen as the service began. Turning up the volume on the radio, I looked over the dash to see that I had was facing the town graveyard. The sun was just high enough to cast long blue shadows from the head stones and throw ribbons of pale yellow light across sparkling snow. Today, this unintended moment holds the picture I recall at all subsequent renderings of this carol and is, in fact, the one rare picture in my adult that retains the fugitive magic of childhood Christmases: a small boy’s voice, pure and plucky, heralding a graveyard transformed with dawning light.

Q: What, in this visually rich season, can you see in new ways? With redeemed eyes? Where can you pause in your intensions to do that kind of looking? 19. Carol Fricke // Children’s Ministries

Joy to the World, a well-loved hymn this time of year, was never intended to be a Christmas song. Written in 1719 by Isaac Watts, it was poetry penned to paraphrase the last half of Psalm 98. “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth…for He comes...” (vs. 4,9). The psalm, and therefore the hymn, is a joyous celebration as we rejoice in the salvation that began when God became incarnate as a baby, came to remove sin’s curse. It is a glorious expectation as we anticipate when Christ will come again to reign forever, righting all wrongs and bringing equity to the whole earth. Joy to the world indeed! Nothing in this earthly life can offer us true, unending joy. But we can, and should, rejoice before the babe in Bethlehem, born our Savior, but also returning King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Q: Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Have you received your King? If so, what will you do to let your heart prepare Him room, not just during the Advent season, but every day? 20. Oh Come All Ye FAithful Meghan Carey // Adult Ministries

The Advent season can be one of the most difficult seasons for people dealing with family stress, financial burdens, loss and hardship. In a season that literally glitters, it can feel isolating and alone. I know that I have felt the need and/or desire to pretend that everything is ok and to act like I have it all together. “Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels; Oh come let us adore Him.” Faithful, joyful and triumphant are not three words I would use to describe the state of my heart entering this Advent season, but what if they were? What if I was able to acknowledge that my life isn’t perfect, but Jesus is? That the mess in my life is real, but that doesn’t stop my ability to bow down before Christ and adore Him. “Oh come let us adore Him, Oh come let us adore Him, Oh come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Q: Who is someone in your life that is especially faithful? What stands out to you about their faithfulness and how does it affect their daily life? 21. All i WAnt for ChristmAs is You* Jimmy Bero // Student Ministries

Quite possibly, the most epic Christmas ballad is Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Those music box chimes in the intro, the slow build, then the drums kick in with the rhythmic piano and the melody begins to soar. Our culture is, year after year, sucked into the vortex of consumerism and spectacle. This song can serve as a reminder that our relationships with people are much more important than the “stuff” we give and receive. And if we want to take it to the next level, perhaps the “one thing” Mariah Carey wants for Christmas really is Jesus. Perhaps that’s a stretch for this song, but if there is one question we need to ask ourselves, especially at this time of year, it’s this: “Is Jesus the one thing I need?”

Q: Is Jesus truly the one thing you need in all situations in your life?

*See lyrics in the appendix at the end of the devotional 22. ChristmAs Song by DAve MAtthews BAnd* Matt Metzger // Blackhawk Downtown

When I think of the song I would want to wake up to on Christmas morning, I wouldn’t really consider Christmas Song by Dave Matthews Band. I would think of a song with more excitement and flair! Something with a full choir and orchestra, or at least Bing Crosby or Michael Bublé. However, when it came onto the scene back in the mid 90’s, I was immediately drawn to it because of the incredible simplicity of this song. It is a song that could easily go unnoticed as a Christmas song. In the same way, Jesus’s birth went unnoticed by the vast majority of people living in that day, yet the love of God was exploding into the world…and the world has never been the same. It’s because of God’s love for us that He sent His Son. It’s because of His love for us that Christ eventually went to the cross. It’s because of the relentless love of Christ that our sin has been paid for through Jesus. Christmas is a day to celebrate that, just as Dave Matthews said simply, “His love is all around.” “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all…” (2 Corinthians 5:14)

Q: How has Christ’s love for you affected you this past year? Where do you see God’s love displayed in your life today that you easily take for granted?

*See lyrics in the appendix at the end of the devotional 23. it’s A MArshmAllow World Piper Vollmer // Worship Arts

For believers, Christmas can become embattled. We want desperately to stay in the true meaning of the holiday without constantly drawing lines in the sand. Or snow. This can have us trying to whittle down our traditions to the purely religious or trying to stamp every passing bauble with the nativity. Swing the pendulum one way and you shouldn’t watch It’s a Wonderful Life with its sketchy portrayal of “God.” Swing it the other way and you’re casting Kevin McAllister as the prodigal son. Either way, it’s crazy-making. Here, C. S. Lewis has an encouraging word. He writes, albeit about Easter, of a moment in a child’s life when he is “able to distinguish the spiritual from the ritual and festal aspect of Easter” and that “once he has distinguished, he must put one or the other first.” All around us, at Christmas, one alternative is raging: the material and commercial have been put first and “have taken on an independent, and therefore a soon withering, life.” We ought to be bothered by this but not, I think, defeated. The other alternative offers ever-expanding hope. As Lewis puts it, “If he puts the spiritual first he can still taste something of Easter in the chocolate eggs.” Or, put another way, “Yours is the earth and everything in it.” For the believer, nothing earthbound has the last word; always there is the undercurrent of The Word. And we are celebrating that Word become flesh. So if It’s a Marshmallow World leaves you shuddering at our shabby treatment of a holy-day, praise the God who dove headlong into our shabbiness. If it moves you to dance or sing out loud, do it as unto the Lord. He is with us!

Q: Are you caught up in the shiny or superficial trimmings of this holiday? Are you caught up in a self-focused effort to try and reclaim Christmas? How can you rest in the true reclamation this holiday celebrates? 24. Trumpet Child by Over the Rhine* Kortney Kaiser // Communications

It’s those moments that reduce us to a pool of melted helplessness that offer a glimpse of what’s to come. When our senses are wildly awakened by inexplicable triggers that take away our breath, leave us overcome, weak in the knees, brimmed up to overflowing and longing for more. Do you know what I’m talking about?

It has happened to me when I’ve gazed at a Post-Impressionist painting or felt fine, expensive fabric on my skin. When I’ve consumed a delicate piece of sushi or listened to Debussy’s Clair de Lune…especially the “rolling” part. It has happened on warm, summer nights floating on a quiet lake under the stars or when I’ve shared an impromptu, three part harmony with family and friends. This wonder always seems to hit me the hardest as the multitude lift their candles on Christmas Eve.

These moments, brief but incredibly powerful, speak to that insatiable, collective ache deep inside each one of us. They are unmistakable… especially in contrast to a world so full of pain, suffering and death. Humanity is desperate to taste this ineffable joy.

The song Trumpet Child reminds us that the best is yet to come. For now, however, we can only receive it in small doses. What a day it will be when we raise a glass to the glorious Host and the feast that never ends.

Q: What moments in your life fill you with unimaginable wonder and expectation for Christ’s return?

*See lyrics in the appendix at the end of the devotional 25. it CAme Upon A Midnight CleAr Craig Gartland // Adult Ministries

With its lilting melody and lyrics such as “peace on the earth” and “the world in solemn stillness lay,” this song has long been a favorite of mine. It sets a scene so nice, quiet and serene. And truth be told, as with most Christmas carols, I have only the first line set to memory. If I keep singing however, the carol’s tone turns somber: “life’s crushing load,” “man at war with man” and “the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long.” I’ve been jolted out of my quiet, peaceful mood. Yet by the end of the carol, I find myself grateful. For I am once again reminded that this “peace” is not merely “nice” or “serene”, but is the long awaited news that “heaven’s all-gracious King” has broken into our hurting and suffering world to bring a peace through Jesus “over all the earth” – a Christmas message far more powerful and impactful than a mere warm feeling or mood.

Q: In what ways can your celebration of Christmas incorporate bringing tangible expressions of God’s peace to a hurting and suffering world – out of a place of gratitude and generosity? 26. O Holy Night Mike Hughes // College Age Ministry

It’s strange that a night is being called holy here. Holy is an adjective that has to do with how different God is from the mundane. It’s a word of separation and distance. In the scriptures, when you see something mundane being described as holy, it’s because of God’s presence. When God speaks through the burning bush, the ground surrounding it becomes holy. As His presence filled the temple, it became sacred, holy space. Here, the whole night is holy. It’s because of the presence of God, now dwelling on Earth, in the baby born that night. What’s beau- tiful here is that it’s not just the night that’s transformed. Because of the baby, a world rejoices, love becomes law, the soul feels its worth. The presence of God, fully depicted in Jesus, shows us the transformational power of Christ’s holiness. Jesus changes the things and the people who He comes into contact with, and then commissions them to become agents of that change, working towards the day when chains break, oppression ceases and the grateful chorus rises once and for all.

Q: Have you ever experienced what felt like a “holy moment,” a moment where you encountered Jesus and left transformed? // Appendix

Christmas Unicorn by Sufjan Stevens (selected verses)

I’m a Christmas Unicorn, in a uniform made of gold With a billy-goat beard, and a sorcerer’s shield, and on my nose

Oh, I’m a Christian holiday, I’m a symbol of original sin I’ve a pagan tree, and a magical wreath, and bow-tie on my chin

For you’re a Christmas Unicorn, I have seen you on the beat You may dress in the human uniform, child... But I know you’re just like me

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...

I’m the Christmas Unicorn You’re the Christmas Unicorn too

I’m the Christmas Unicorn (Find the Christmas Unicorn) You’re the Christmas Unicorn too (It’s all right, I love you)

Love, love will tear us apart, again Love, love will tear us apart, my friend // Appendix

Maybe This Christmas by Ron Sexsmith

Maybe this Christmas will mean something more Maybe this year love will appear Deeper than ever before And maybe forgiveness will ask us to call Someone we love, someone we’ve lost For reasons we can’t quite recall, oh Maybe this Christmas Maybe there’ll be an open door Maybe the star that shined before Will shine once more, oh And maybe this Christmas will find us at last In Heavenly peace, Grateful at least For the love we’ve been shown in the past, oh Maybe this Christmas, maybe this Christmas // Appendix

All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey (selected verses)

I don’t want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need, and I Don’t care about the presents Underneath the

I don’t need to hang my stocking There upon the fireplace won’t make me happy With a toy on Christmas day

I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you

All I want for Christmas is you, baby // Appendix

Christmas Song by Dave Matthews Band

She was his girl, he was her boyfriend Soon to be his wife, make him her husband A surprise on the way, any day, any day One healthy little giggling, dribbling baby boy The Wise Men came, three made their way To shower him with love While he lay in the hay Shower him with love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love was all around

Not very much of his childhood was known Kept his mother Mary worried Always out on his own He met another Mary who for a reasonable fee Less than reputable was known to be His heart was full of love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love was all around

When Jesus Christ was nailed to the his tree Said “Oh, Daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be. I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene. Instead I fear I’ve spilled the blood of our children all around.” The blood of our children all around The blood of our children’s all around

So I’m told, so the story goes The people he knew were Less than golden-hearted Gamblers and robbers // Appendix

Drinkers and jokers All soul searchers Like you and me Like you and me

Rumors insisted he soon would be For his deviations taken into custody By the authorities, less informed than he. Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers Searching for love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love was all around

Preparations were made For his celebration day He said, “Eat this bread, think of it as me. Drink this wine and dream it will be The blood of our children all around, The blood of our children all around. The blood of our children’s all around

Father up above, Why in all this anger do you fill me up with love, love, love? Love, love, love Love, love was all around

Father up above, Why in all this hatred do you fill me up with love? Fill me love, love, yeah Love, love, love Love, love, and the blood of our children all around // Appendix

Trumpet Child by Over the Rhine

The trumpet child will blow his horn Will blast the sky till it’s reborn With ’s power and Satchmo’s grace He will surprise the human race

The trumpet he will use to blow Is being fashioned out of fire The mouthpiece is a glowing coal The bell a burst of wild desire

The trumpet child will riff on love Thelonious notes from up above He’ll improvise a kingdom come Accompanied by a different drum

The trumpet child will banquet here Until the lost are truly found A thousand days, a thousand years Nobody knows for sure how long

The rich forget about their gold The meek and mild are strangely bold A lion lies beside a lamb And licks a murderer’s outstretched hand

The trumpet child will lift a glass His bride now leaning in at last His final aim to fill with joy The earth that man all but destroyed