It’s here! The final week of Advent. We light the last candle, the candle of Love! This Love is no Hallmark valentine, though. This is a Love so amazing, so powerful that it can take us unaware - in the light of it, we might feel unworthy. Upon taking it in, we might be asked to do unthinkable things like love other people unconditionally and offer ourselves wholly and completely to God. It’s a Love that will make us fall to our knees and want to dance in the same moment. This is no easy Love, and I think that’s why we don’t get to it until week 4 -- because we have spent all of Advent preparing for this moment, when Love comes into the world. Are you ready to say Yes to it?
[This week's musical selections are (mostly) not your traditional Christmas carols, and most of them have a pretty rocking beat, entirely reflective of my excitement at reaching week 4 of Advent, and my joy in exploring this idea of Love from a couple of different angles. Turn the volume down if you prefer, but don't turn away.]
O Come, O Come Emmanuel | This week our version is by For King and Country. We’re only a few days away from the fulfillment of everything we’ve been praying for in this song.
Gabriel’s Message | My favorite part of this carol is "most highly favoured lady". I was raised Catholic, which is how I account for my affinity for Mary, or The BVM as I usually refer to her. However Mary falls in your personal theology or devotions, it's hard to argue with the idea that Mary is "most highly favoured" - the one asked to be the Theokotos (God-bearer.) Sometimes I think we limit Mary's role in the story of the Christ because the story mentions her at the beginning and then has her cameo at different times; this means we forget that Mary raised Jesus and all the faith, courage and strength that must have taken. It all started with an angel showing up and saying "you're the most highly favoured lady, so God's got something special for you." I'm 1000% sure I would not have the faith or courage to say yes to that message.
Yahweh | I like to think of this as a modern version of Mary’s acceptance at the Annunciation. Mary says “Let it be with me just as you say, even though I don’t understand any of this.” This song says “Take what I’ve got and make it work. Make me clean, make me sing, even though I know my heart will break.”
Take My Life (And Let It Be) | Speaking of Mary’s response to Gabriel, when I was about 6 or 7, I remember my first grade teacher, Sister Esther, instructing us to bend our index finger; when we looked at our bent fingers, we could see a “Y” made from the folds of our knuckles: This, Sr. Esther told us, was what we should always remember: Mary said yes, and so should we. If we ever had trouble remembering what Mary did, we should just look at our folded fingers, and we would remember. When we say “Yes” to God, we’re not doing something lightly - like Mary, we’re offering everything we are, everything we have, indeed everything we think we could be to God and saying “Here I am, Lord. Let your will be done. Take my life, everything, all of it, and let me be remade to you, for you. Only, all for you.” It’s not easy. It is often painful & heartbreaking, and yet, as we learn during Advent while we wait… it is so very worth it, for the life God offers to us is so much more than we could ever, ever imagine.
Room for Us All | I don’t know if the innkeeper who led Joseph and Mary to shelter for the night was doing it out of frustration or compassion or just to get another coin, but I like the idea that one of the things we take from the story is that we must always make room, for everyone. “We are on this earth to love” is my favorite line in this song, and I hope it stays with you like it stays with me.
The Proof of Your Love | This song speaks for itself. Just listen. And love.
Higher Love | OK, this is where you might want to turn the volume down and then bring it up bit by bit. This is a dance remix so it's got a bass beat - but the lyrics are SO good, and it never fails to bring the happiness and hope to me, because I believe in a Higher Love. Plus: Whitney Houston!
Seasons of Love | Our church year is divided into seasons, Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time. We have our days of Sabbath and our Holy Days when we celebrate the holiest moments and people that came before us. These seasons follow a cycle of texts that teach us about the love God has for us -- how to respond to it, how to embrace it, how to follow it, how to live it. The church year is very much about Seasons of Love, and this is the week it all really starts for us.
BONUS: Christ, Be Our Light | This is most traditionally an Easter song, often sung at the Easter vigils. I've included it as a bonus on this list for two reasons: 1) in this week of the Winter Solstice, many of us are feeling the weight of darkness, even with the promise of growing light. 2) The Christmas story is inextricably linked with the Easter story. From here on, we welcome the Christ Child and follow His Light as we walk to Easter. Along with the songs of Advent and Christmas, let's make space for one Easter one as we embrace the promise of what is to come. (This song also has a really beautiful descant!)
Here are all of the songs as one YouTube playlist.
And here are all of the songs as a Spotify playlist.
Here are all of the Advent playlists in one place.
May you feel deeply within your bones your belovedness on Christmas, friends, knowing that God is truly, truly, with us.