The birth of Jesus was the deepest, most heartfelt song the world has ever heard; God’s beautiful masterpiece making a debut. Today, Christmas is not a song of worship, but an entire genre of music. It’s almost a right of passage for a recording artist to put out a Christmas song or album. These Christmas songs we hear as we turn on the radio, tv, or wander grocery aisles are often watered-down themes of togetherness, comfort, and overindulgence. Like a pop artist stripping away the heart of classic soul songs and shellacking them with power-ballad lacquer, culture has removed the soul from the song of Christmas and sung it’s now-empty promises over and over again.

As much as we love Christmas music (I’d ask you to name a more perfect Christmas pop song than Christmas/Baby Please Come Home by Darlene Love but it would be a waste of your precious holiday time) we must not allow the watered-down songs of simple warmth, gifts, and family to be the prominent message of Christmas.

We’ve made a playlist to accompany our Advent Conspiracy journey. 
These are not quaint melodies to shop to; you won’t hear these in a mall. These are anthems to be sung by those who know the beauty of forgiveness. These are psalms for those of us who have knelt at the manger, who long for our family, friends, the strangers we pass on the street to know the freedom that comes from the fulfilled promise of Isaiah 9:6…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Vintage Advent Conspiracy Playlist

Today’s Passage: Luke 1:5-17 (ESV)

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”