A friend emailed me this week. She said, “Looking for something to read, I went to my bookshelf and there was your book. I’m sorry to say I had not read it. It was on my ‘to-read’ shelf last year, but after Christmas, I just didn’t get around to it. I took it down and finally got around to it. It is a wonderful little book, and I enjoyed every minute of the read. Thank you and thank Jesus for drawing it to my attention.”
She was talking about Repeat the Sounding Joy! John Parker and I released the book last Christmas and gave it away to everyone who attended Hillcrest.
The little book explores the four “Christmas carols” in Luke’s Gospel. Music is one of our favorite traditions of the Christmas season. When we sing songs about the birth of Jesus, we unite with the musical testimony of Christians through two thousand years of church history. But Luke’s nativity stories contain the very first Christmas carols, so to speak. Your holiday will more meaningful if you study these Biblical songs with the help of our book.
Maybe you’re like my friend. Maybe you got a free copy last year and had every intention of reading the book, but you didn't. You let the Christmas season come and go without cracking the spine. Why not take some time with it this weekend?
And if you don’t have a book, get one when you attend this Sunday!
If you want friends and family to have copies, don’t raid the book racks in the auditorium. We want you to bring people to church where they can pick up one for themselves. If that’s not possible, buy copies for them. The books cost $3.99 at Amazon (https://amzn.to/3ijkZQm). Or purchase them in the church office during the week and save shipping.
Your own Christmas celebration will be richer when you understand what made the characters in Luke’s Gospel burst into song in response to the birth of Jesus. This book will give you reasons to sing this season!
Tom
Tom Goodman serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter. If someone forwarded this email newsletter to you, sign up here to receive Tom’s weekly devotional in your email inbox.