Covenant CONNECTIONS: What's On Your Playlist?

Greetings! Advent is here! Thanksgiving is past! You all know what that means right? Christmas music everywhere!

I love to have music filling my office. At any given moment my little Bluetooth speaker is on and playing some sort of music. Advent is no exception to this rule. In my office I use a program called Spotify to listen to music and it has pretty much any song you’d ever want to hear on it.

This thing can make a lot of noise!

Over the past three Advents I’ve slowly built up a playlist that is 538 songs long. The playlist is, of course, stuffed with great songs by legendary artists. There’s Elvis Presley, there’s Frank Sinatra, there’s the Jackson Five.  I’ve also tried really hard to find Christmas albums that are off the beaten path. One of my favorite Christmas albums is by an artist named Sufjan Stevens, who recorded the most beautiful versions of "Holy, Holy, Holy" (click the picture for a link to the song), and also the jauntiest “ I Saw Three Ships” you could imagine.

I found a new (for me) album called “Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration” from 1992 This album is entirely new soul music versions of every movement from Handel’s Messiah.  This is definitely worth listening to, if for no other reason than hearing Stevie Wonder and Take 6 perform “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion”. Click the album cover to hear it.

But the problem with adding things that look interesting (or weird) is that the playlist can spiral out of control. There is no better example of this than the fact that it includes 1980’s hair metal band Twisted Sister’s album “A Twisted Christmas”. I will not be linking you to that album, because I wouldn’t want to do something that cruel. It also includes a charity album entitled “All I Want For Christmas Is a Goat”, which is goats singing Christmas songs. This needs to be heard to be believed. Click on the picture of the goat to hear goats bleating "Silent Night".

I love my weird playlist, but it needs some help. It needs some tending so I can avoid the aural whiplash that comes when you hear the Charlie Brown theme followed by a goat screaming "Jingle Bells".  The playlist needs some tending, some pruning, some shaping. But isn’t that how most things are in Advent? Isn't this how conversations unfold during the holidays?

Hi neighbor! How’s your day been? Busy, stressful, short.

As our Advent continues I encourage you to find those things that you can do without. Find ways to prune those things that don’t center you on the wonder and awe of Advent. Find ways to hold on to those things in life that bring you joy, that draw you closer to the mystery of Christmas. Lose traditions that provide only headaches, bake one less batch of cookies, take some time for breathing.  Because with some pruning you’ll realize you still have a full playlist, but now it’s full of those things that give you life. Advent blessings! Jeff Fox-Kline

Celestial Celebration for Clara!

Sun, Dec 15 at 12 noon Pastor Clara Thompson is retiring after four years as our Parish Associate. She has been a shining star of God's love among us, so we are gathering to say thank you. Light refreshments served. Please join us as we give thanks to God for Clara and wish her well.

Adult Education Classes this Sunday Click the image below for more info.

Sunday Worship 9:00 and 11:00

Sunday, December 8 Second Sunday of Advent Candles of HOPE and PEACE Sermon: Christmas at Matthew's House Text: Matthew 1:18-25 Preaching: Clara Thompson Exodus Youth Band (9:00) Liturgical Dancers

Sunday, December 15 Third Sunday of Advent Candles of HOPE, PEACE, JOY Sermon: Christmas at John's House Text: John 1 Preaching: Jeff Fox-Kline New Day Band (9 and 11)

www.covenantmadison.org

‌ ‌