Third Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2023

Music Sunday and Winter Christmas Pageant Music by John Kendall Bailey Poor, ordinary people are we - wondering and wandering through our lives. We have been spending this season of Advent considering the ways in which this weary world might find joy. This Sunday, we rejoice in music and the wonder of children, as we combine our annual December Music Sunday program and our Christmas Pageant. Music taps into our deepest feelings, and can powerfully transport us from one emotional state to another, often without us even realizing it. With music spanning centuries and genres (from the 1600s to Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas), the Chancel Choir will take us on a journey from darkness to light, from questions to answers - from weariness to rejoicing. We’ll also examine some of the lyrics and contexts of familiar carols to find how they contain even greater depth and meaning. Children can often find joy and excitement more easily than the rest of us. In tandem with the choir’s music, DCC’s children will take us all on a journey of rediscovery as they encounter a box, and a note, which guide them in creating our pageant - reminding us of the joy contained in the Christmas story, and of the joy that is also found in the beloved tradition of ordinary people re-telling that incredible story.