Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:33 — 8.0MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
From the 2007 Lifespring! WhyChristmas series:
Today, James and Steve talk about how Mary and Joseph, her betrothed, found out that she would bear a son, even though she had never been with a man, and that this son would be the Savior of the world!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:41 — 6.3MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
From the 2007 Lifespring! WhyChristmas series…
Today, we’re going to hear the story behind the beautiful Christmas carol, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”
Written in 1849 by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian minister, this was the second of two “twin” carols. (Listen to the show for more.)
Lyrics
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O ye beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
“Calm On The Listening Ear”
Calm on the listening ear of night
Come heaven’s melodious strains,
Where wild Judea stretches far
Her silver mantled plains.
Celestial choirs from courts above
Shed sacred glories there,
And angels, with their sparkling lyres,
Make music on the air.
Artists On This Show
London Fox Players & Tim Mather
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” (mp3)
from “20 Peaceful Christmas Favorites”
(Classic Fox Records)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:34 — 11.1MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
Welcome To The ShowMerry Christmas! Or Happy Christmas to those in the U.K. and others who prefer “Happy” over “Merry”!
The Lifespring! Why Christmas show has become a bit of a tradition for many people over the years, and this year, Steve and James decided to replay the Lifespring! Why Christmas shows from 2007. We think you’ll enjoy them as much in 2014 as folks did in 2007.
If you’re a regular Lifespring! listener or heard the “Lifespring! Advent Calendar” in years past, welcome back! If this is your first time listening to the “Lifespring! Why Christmas Show”, welcome to you, too!
The “Lifespring! Why Christmas Show” is a joint project between the Lifespring! Media family and the whychristmas?com website.
In this first installment of the show for 2007, James and Steve talk about Advent, and why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.
James and Steve would consider your giving the show a review on iTunes a Christmas gift to us. How about it? Just click here to go to the iTunes store where you can take just a minute or two to tell others what you think of the show.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:17 — 32.8MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
Merry Christmas! On today’s Christmas Day edition of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, James & Steve will will be sharing some Christmas greetings and there’s a chance to hear a very special version of the Christmas Story which was recorded for the show a few years ago. And of course we’ll have some top Christmas music!
Read about the Christmas Story on whychristmas.com
The music in the today’s show:
Gabriel: Anthony Getting – http://gettig.net
Mary: Karmyn Tyler – http://karmyntyler.com
Elizabeth: Natalie Nicole Gilbert – http://www.facebook.com/NatalieNicoleGilbert
Angel: Bob Souer – http://bobsouer.com
Shepherd 1: Bryan Duncan – http://bryanduncan.com
Shepherd 2: Kenny Metcalf – http://justaband.com
Shepherd 3: Dave DeAndrea – http://davedeandrea.com
Wise Man 1: Ron Ploof – http://griddlecakes.com
Wise Man 2: Ron Stroope – http://ronstroope.com
Wise Man 3: RevTim – http://revtim.com
King Herod: James Cooper – http://www.whychristmas.com
Narrator: Steve Webb – http://theguywiththefriendlyvoice.com
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:37 — 14.8MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
Steve’s back with another Lifespring! Why Christmas Show! This time he’ll be finding out about the history of Christmas Carols (although he won’t be singing any – honest!) Instead, they’ll be three Christmas Carols – but not necessarily how you know them!
Find out more about Christmas Carols on whychristmas.com
Sing some Christmas Karaoke on James’s site tistheseasonto.be
The music in the today’s show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:02 — 17.9MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
On the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show today, James finds out about Christmas Trees. And there’s four more Christmas songs!
Find out more about Christmas Trees on whychristmas.com
The music in the today’s show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:43 — 15.8MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
On this edition of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, Steve will be explaining just why we send bits of paper to each other in December with the history of Christmas Cards! An there’s some more great Christmas tunes.
Find out more about Christmas Cards on whychristmas.com
The music in the today’s show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:14 — 12.6MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
Today on the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, James will share the story of how St Nicholas became known as Santa Claus! And today’s Christmas tunes all have a Santa theme to them.
Find out more about Santa’s history on whychristmas.com
The music in the today’s show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:31 — 17.4MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
UPDATE: Sorry! We put the wrong audio file up earlier! The correct file is now here.
On the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show today, Steve Webb finds out why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th! And there’s more Christmas music.
Find out more about the date of Christmas on whychristmas.com
The music in the today’s show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:51 — 15.8MB)
Subscribe (Free): iTunes | Android | RSS | More
Happy Advent! On the first show of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show for 2012 James Cooper of the Christmas information site whychristmas.com will explain all about Advent! There’s also some great Christmas music.
Find out more about Advent on whychristmas.com
Open the Advent Calendar on whychristmas.com or follow the Advent Calendar on twitter @happyadvent
The music in the today’s show: