Christmas has always been a time of year I hold near and dear to my heart. Christmas carols often begin playing way before Thanksgiving and continue on after the calendar announces the new year. In the midst of the turmoil of 2020, I admit I found peace and comfort from the familiar sounds of Christmas music.
It was easy to welcome Hosanna in Excelsis, by David & Barbara Leeman, onto my bookshelves and into my heart.
This is a beautiful Advent devotional taking Christmas hymns and bringing them to life as the authors share the musical history, the lyrics, and a biblical reflection each day of the season.
The book is divided into three sections for a total of forty three readings:
- Hymns of Advent: These are hymns that prepare us for December 25th, while helping us to anticipate Christ’s future return.
- Hymns of the Nativity: Here the reader will find hymns bringing us to remember the manger and the human birth of Christ, while at the same time reminding us of the Cross for which He came.
- Hymns of Epiphany: During the days after Christmas, we remember the visit of the wise men to see Jesus. Upon finding Jesus, they humbly bow down and worship. These hymns remind us to humble ourselves before Him, coming to Him each day to worship.
Throughout the book, I found both the most familiar and beloved Christmas melodies and many I had never heard. Yet each devotional brought a powerful point to ponder. There were many wonderful quotes and Scriptures shared which will make this book one I will hold onto and revisit each year.
“Jesus is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! The life of all our joys, the sum of all our delights, a song in a word, an ocean for comprehension, a matchless oratorio in two syllables, a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters.”
(Charles Spurgeon, as quoted on page 28)
*I was provided a copy of this book by Moody Publishers. All opinions are honest and my own. The post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small percent at no additional cost to you.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Today I am joining … Heart Encouragement and Let’s Have Coffee and Booknificent Thursday .
Oh, Joanne, I placed my order for this book just yesterday and I can hardly wait! With Mary Geisen’s Advent Narrative for my personal reading and this treasure to enjoy in the morning with my husband, this should be a very blessed season!
I truly loved this one and had ordered it before joining Mary’s launch team. I cannot wait to do both together 🙂
Looking forward to Mary G’s for sure.
Joanne, this sounds like wonderful book. I with you about finding comfort in this genre of music this year … I downloaded Carrie Underwood’s new Christmas album the day it came out in SEPTEMBER and have been listening to it ever since! 🙂 (It’s beautiful, if you’re on the lookout for something new this holiday season.)