Feeling a tad stressed this December 10? Just two weeks shy of Christmas Eve, and amid all the hustle and bustle of holiday parties, or shopping, or decorating, or writing your Advent 3 sermon (yes, Working Preachers, I’m thinking of you), or studying for finals and writing papers (yes, my students, now I’m thinking of you!), or of making lists and checking them twice (oh, yeah, that’s supposed to be Santa’s job!)? Well, wherever you may find yourself or whatever you may be doing, I’d invite you take a three-minute Advent mental health break and enjoy this early Christmas present from The Piano Guys. It’s a rendition of Angels We...

The Carol of the Bells, a Ukrainian folk song written by Mykola Leontovych with lyrics by Peter Wilhousky, has always been one of my favorites of those Christmas carols that you are more likely to hear than sing. There are so many fabulous variations that never fail to delight, and the tune has been adapted to reflect so many different cultures (where drums, for instance, in an African version performed at my daughter’s middle school recently). So it was to my great delight to come across two more versions that I thought were, well, just really cool. The first, from the creative talents at North Point Church in Atlanta, appeals to my geeky...