Tonight I listened to an 89-year-old Iraqi woman sing a Christmas hymn in Arabic, as her son played the guitar. He’s one of the many students my husband taught and mentored over the years, and I am grateful when I catch such beautiful glimpses of their lives via Facebook. It made me realize that before … More Hush and Rest!

One of my favorite stories of the impact of Silent Night, Holy Night* is when British and German soldiers stopped their fighting during World War I to sing this song into the night air. It did not stop the war, but it did provide a moment of peace in an otherwise deadly conflict. In churches today, … More A moment of peace

Some Christmas carols are very formal and even hard to sing, and yet we must, because they are part of our heritage and traditions. We also sing them because they are reflections of our love for Jesus and give witness to who he is. O Come, All Ye Faithful* will always be one of my … More Come on, Ya’ll!

I wish I had the memory my father had. He could remember just about every sermon he heard…quote the date, the speaker, the main points. I didn’t inherit that gift. I regret this especially, when it comes to things my late husband said, for he had such wisdom and insight from the Lord. But there … More Why the angels sing

Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come* is a tried and true Christmas Carol, and I think it goes without saying that most people who at least attend church on Christmas and Easter can get through the first verse without a struggle. Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her … More Put your songs to work

It’s amazing how Christmas carols bring back memories. As I was reading through O Little Town of Bethlehem,* I was taken back to the mid-1980s. I was a member in the Arabic Baptist Mission in Fort Worth, Texas, while working toward my Masters in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It was in this church that … More My hometown

We sing it year after year, but only now did I think about it — Why is the song called The First Nowell* when there has only ever been one Nowell? Noel or Christmas is given to no other event other than that one-time miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. Why would the author of the traditional English Carol … More The first and only one

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were sitting in our apartment in Ankara, Turkey. The month was April, but it had just snowed! We spent two, short months in this precious country shortly after the first Iraq War. Knowing the time was short, we worked hard to love on and share with the … More A blooming rose

Today’s hymn was sung in the church I visited, and I found myself working hard to focus on the words, not wanting my own challenge to you to be lost on me. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus* is another great hymn of advent. Advent means the arrival of a notable person, thing or event, and for those who … More All-sufficient merit