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Community Presbyterian Church 2020 “Songs of Christmas” Advent Devotional Greetings in the name of the Lord, our God! What you have in your hands is the work of many. It is a joy offering for this season called Advent, a season of waiting. You will find memo- ries, songs, inspiration and God’s word in these pages. We pray you find in the midst of this crazy year that the God Who created the whole universe loves you dearly. He loved you so much that He sent His One and Only Son to be the One perfect sacrifice for our sins. You can never go too far for God to find you and redeem you and adopt you into His family. So, in the middle of this busy and crazy season, take a moment to pause and read daily of God’s amazing love and maybe find yourself singing a few familiar “Songs of Christmas.” In the joy of the Lord, Pastor Kimberly December 1, 2020 Away in a Manger “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.“ Luke 2:7 When I was a child, I can remember a group of about 6-8 neigh- borhood friends sitting around my neighbors Christmas tree singing Christmas carols. Away in the Manger was my favorite, so when it was my turn to pick the song I would choose Away in A Manger. In PEP School, I love to introduce the Nativity Story with a song called Tip Toe sung to the tune of a Tisket a Tasket. Tip toe, tip toe, don’t wake the baby The Little baby Jesus, sleeping on the hay Tip Toe, Tip Toe, Come and see the baby The little baby Jesus, born on Christmas day. Such a simple and fun song for 3 & 4 year olds, it invites them to the story. As we sing the song I usually have the stable with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus to show them. We have three Nativity sets for the children to play with. I love that they can engage in this story over and over again. Often the Baby Jesus disappears from the stable as the children are reluctant to leave Him behind as they go play in another area, taking Jesus with them where ever they go. Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, I give thanks and praise to you for placing these songs on my heart and giving me the opportunity to share Your Story with children. Amen Submitted by Renee Inman December 2, 2020 O Come O Come, Emmanuel “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us” Matthew 1:23 My eldest son’s middle name is Emmanuel. I wanted him to know from the moment of his birth God is with him. His name has been a con- stant source of comfort to me through the years. God is with him, with us, with Me. The lyrics in O Come O Come, Emmanuel are not the most festive and upbeat of Christmas car- ols. Referencing mourning, being In “lonely exile” and the “depths of hell”, this hymn is a desper- ate plea to our Savior to “Turn our darkness into light.” Unfortunately my year of 2020 is reflected in the verses and in my prayers for God to rescue us and bring us comfort. Prayer: We rejoice and thank you God that Emmanuel was born and you are with us. Amen Submitted by Debbie Kennedy December 3, 2020 O Holy Night The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salva- tion. Psalm 13:5 O Holy Night O holy night, the stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior's birth Long lay the world, in sin and error pining 'Til 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 O hear the angels' voices O night divine, O night when Christ was born O night divine O night, O night divine Ooh, yes it was, O night divine Yeah, that is that night of our dear Savior's birth. Prayer: O Holy is the night May each night remind us to fall on our knees in thankfulness. To thank You for being a place of refuge in our storms of life. Loss of jobs , COVID illness and deaths, quarantine in this pandemic, changes in our Nation, we are reminded your arms are underneath us. We know in You - the promise of hope in a weary world. We claim your promise for a “new and glorious morning” O Holy Night - to hear the Angels’ Voices Amen Submitted by Steve and Janet Walker December 4, 2020 Joy to the World! “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 The Lord has come! He came to fill us with His promise of eternal life and to free us from our sins once and for all. What wonderful gifts of love, peace, hope and joy our Lord has given us yet we often think we can handle things without His help. Seeking His will first is the only way to feel the joy of His Spirit living in us. How is your joy? Do you thank God daily for your life and His Spirit or are you too busy to look for all the joy He gives you? To fully ex- perience joy in our lives, we must seek Him first. It is amazing to feel His love as you meet with Him daily. Even when you are experi- encing difficult circumstances, God is there helping you to see His joy in your life. Celebrate the joy of the birth of Jesus, our Savior! Bake Him a cake and sing happy birthday to Him – feel the joy! Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your son, Jesus. It is a priceless gift of love and joy that only you can give. May His love and joy be present in us in all that we do and remind us to always seek your joy in our lives. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen Submitted by the Kinlow’s December 5, 2020 Hark The Herald Angels Sing Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents* Luke 15:10 This song always harbors so many memories for me of when I was a child. I have always been involved in the church and partici- pated in the Christmas Shows from as soon as I could sing until I was in about fifth grade. The excitement levels were always high through all the practices, getting to hang out with friends, mak- ing the costumes, and being with everyone knowing that so many people are going to come and watch, and possibly learn the story of Christmas for the first time. My favorite memory, though, was being a roller-skating angel with some of my best friends. We were dressed in white glittery robes and roller skates and were told to just skate around the stage and let the light hit us. Not many people can say that they have been a roller skating angel in front of hundreds of people while singing “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”. The verse above always reminds me of it because whenever I hear that someone has chosen to come to Christ or is beginning to be curious of their journey, I imagine the angels celebrating in Heaven on their roller skates. Prayer;: Hey God, thank you for all that you have done for me and all the opportunities you have given me. I am so grateful for the relationship I have with you now, that I have had, and will have in the future. I pray today that you gift me the memory of just how precious I am to you, how much I matter, and how happy you and your angels are that I am a part of your heavenly family. Lord, I also pray today that someone new may find or revive their faith and that they can sense the celebration happening for them. Amen. Submitted by Emma Monroe December 6, 2020 The Holly and the Ivy “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 My childhood experiences during Christmastime elicit countless fond memories that seem to fall into two broad, contrasting categories. There are the many memories of frenzied excitement and jubilation associated with the holiday season but there also memories of a very different sort and involving quiet reverent moments. Perhaps more than any other song, “The Holly and the Ivy” pulls me back into the memories of those profound occasions of quiet solitude that seemed to settle upon me suddenly, like gently falling snow settles upon the ground. Moments where all noise and thought and worry and want would drift away and where I would linger transfixed, enveloped, and filled with a calming, warming peace. The lyrics, melody, and choral arrangement of this song seem to evoke imagery of contrasts that gently beckons one into a reverent, meditative state.

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