Dear Theophilus

Mother Mary, after reflecting on the coming birth of Jesus, sings this song. This is what the birth of Jesus means according to her: "God has shown strength with his arm;    the Lord has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones,    and lifted up the lowly; The Lord has filled the hungry with good things,    and sent the rich away empty" (Luke 1). The social order before Jesus is one where the biggest, strongest, and richest are in power and most valued. The birth of Jesus, Christmas, begins the process of flipping that on its head where now the lowly are lifted up and the hungry are filled. God's economy, God's heart, will become the new norm - THIS is the promise of the Gospel. God's Kingdom, God's economy, is coming and it will be "without end." Which economy are you supporting? Are we taken with confidence, power, and wealth? Or are we invested in the humble, meek, lowly...

Half-Handed Cloud with "Plant a little Fir Tree" Stationed out of Berkeley, CA. http://youtu.be/1e1tBJ-HtWA Lyrics: "If you plant a little fir tree then we'll all be gifts beneath it If you want to know you're special, now there's proof cause you've got the gift of Jesus. ????? came them from the east, those wise guys how did they know that it would snow If you plant a little fir tree then we'll all be gifts beneath it If you want to know you're special, now there's proof cause you've got the gift of Jesus. Wise men were sent from the east from China, Korea, Japan, each sent a wise man. He landed on the earth all wrapped in skin they're the only ones to find him. Shepherds got there first to worship him then later came the wise men ???? for swaddling what we rise from spice that was meant to preserve Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh. If you plant a little fir tree then we'll all be gifts beneath it...

One of my favorite Christmas albums of all time is by The Choir at your Door's album with the same name. It is absolutely free and you can get it HERE! You would be a fool to not pick up this album. This album is mostly original Christmas songs. The songs are such that one can listen to it year round - and I do! This album is a project of Aaron Roche and Nathan Phillips. Both of these artist are independently some of my favorite indie singer/song-writers. They both play under their own name but Nathan used to write under The Winston Jazz Routine (too many gigs people showed up expecting actual jazz and so he changed the name). His album "Sospiri" is one of my all-time favorite albums - if not the one. They both seem to be writing with a Christian spirituality that permeates their music. There are lines, prayers and snippets in their albums that move me to deep worship. In this album, there is a BEAUTIFUL song about a man who has lost his job at Christ...