Christmas Playlist

Welcome to Advent

Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit.” In the Christian season of Advent, we prepare for the “advent” of Christ’s birth. The season of Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. During this time, the church looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the return of Christ and the full reign of his kingdom. Advent is both a season of remembrance and anticipation

This Advent…

There are four songs in the gospel of Luke that are sung in response to the news that a Messiah will be born. They each have become famous in their own ways and have their own special titles in church history. They are the songs of Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon. They are also known for their opening Latin words: Magnificat, Benedictus, Gloria, and Nunc dimittis. These songs are unique in the gospel text because they're surrounded by prose. They are meant to interrupt our reading, and they call us to pay attention. This Advent, we’ll explore each of these songs, both in remembrance of Christ’s birth and in anticipation of his return. We’ll ask ourselves: what do each of these songs have to teach us and how can we learn to sing them ourselves?