Project 119: Heaven and Nature Sing Introduction
| Project 119 | Amy Hirsch
If you know me well, it may come as no surprise that I love the songs of Advent and Christmas. And while I’m not the person who begins listening to this seasonal music on November 1 (I dutifully try to wait until at least Thanksgiving to enjoy my curated playlist), you might be surprised to learn that we work on the Advent devotional guide at Mountain Brook Baptist Church in the summer and fall. To “get into the spirit of the season” I often will pull up my previous year’s playlist and listen to Advent and Christmas hymns as I ponder themes and thoughts on our upcoming guide. (Sometimes it can feel a little bit like Christmas in July!)
This year, as I was listening to some of my favorite songs, I was struck by how richly rooted these hymns are in the words of Scripture. They tell the story of Christmas because they tell the story of the Bible—the story of the Fall, of our failure to obey, of our need for a Savior…and, they tell the story of “good news of great joy for all the people”—that in the city of David, a Savior has been born, who is Christ the Lord! So, for this Advent and Christmas season, we have chosen to focus our devotions on eight of this season’s hymns, some that may be well-known and beloved to you, and others that might be new material and somewhat less familiar.
My hope is that, through looking at the biblical passages which inspired these songs, each time you hear one of these hymns you will be reminded of the great truths of Scripture and that your heart will be led to worship the God who put on flesh for us, so that we might have life in His name. I pray that you too would know the joy of this season, for the Lord has indeed come—and that we would raise our voices and our hearts in song, joining in with the chorus that heaven and nature sing!