Music is such an important part of Advent and Christmas. Can you imagine Advent without "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"? How about Christmas without carols like "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," and "Joy to the World"?
It pleases the Lord Jesus when we sing of his coming with carols we know by heart. It pleases him even more when we think about the words we are singing.
In twenty-four reflections on well-known carols and Christmas songs, James Howell explores the birth of Jesus. He ponders the meaning of certain phrases from these songs and relates them to our daily lives.
Our eCourse includes weekly video introductions from author James Howell, beautiful recorded renditions of Christmas songs, audio recordings of weekly prayers, all of the daily readings included in Howell's book, and a place for group discussion.
The four weeks of Advent are arranged by themes:
- The Place
- The Men (Joseph, shepherds, magi)
- The Mother
- The Child
Join James Howell and new or old friends in this rich remembrance for the Advent and Christmas seasons.
Private eCourse classrooms with group rates are available upon request. If you are interested, email us at [email protected].
To purchase a print version of Why This Jubilee?, visit The Upper Room online store.
Interested in online learning options based on your favorite Upper Room books? Look for this graphic and click it to learn more as you explore The Upper Room online store.
Your Instructor
Dr. James C. Howell has been senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church since 2003, and has served churches in the Charlotte area for 36 years. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Duke Divinity School, and has a Ph.D. from Duke. He has published 21 books, the most recent being Unrevealed Until Its Season: A Lenten Journey with Hymns. He serves on numerous nonprofit boards in the community, speaks frequently in Charlotte and around the country, and is an adjunct professor of preaching at Duke Divinity School.
Quotable Quote: "I love to preach, and try to think a lot about the intersection between God's story and what's going on in the lives of people and our community and world."
Fun Facts: Dr. Howell grew up in Columbia. He and Lisa Stockton Howell (her dad, Tom, pastored Myers Park United Methodist) have three children: Sarah, Grace and Noah. He bikes, loves books and movies, plays piano and played Captain von Trapp in a community theater production of The Sound of Music.