INDEX of CAROLS & OTHER CHRISTMAS, ADVENT & EPIPHANY MATERIAL: Titles, brief introductory comments and links to words and tunes

Carols and Advent/Christmas hymns titled in red for easy reference

Children’s/ All-Age activities marked with asterisks ****

ADVENT by Margaret Bowdler Click Here

ADVENT CATHEDRAL Click HERE
A beautiful and fitting start to Advent in the mighty Cathedral at Ely

ADVENT:  WAITING, STILLNESS, SILENCE  by Trevor Thorn Click HERE: Three verse poem of preparation.

****ALL AGE FUN ACTIVITY FOR THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD Click here
A simple singing and counting activity with minimal props partly provided in the post itself

****AN ANGEL TREE CAN HOST A HOST OF ANGELS AND DRAW YOUR COMMUNITY INTO ANY CHRISTMAS/ CAROL EVENT YOU MAY BE ORGANISING. READ MORE AT https://crossandcosmos.blogspot.com/2024/01/an-angel-tree-2-community-project.html

****AT BETHLEHEM, IN BORROWED CATTLE STALL

A carol based on the beautiful French folksong Plaisir D'Amour with a fanfare chorus based on the magnificent  Isaiah prophecy "Wonderful, Counsellor... "

****AN ANGEL TOLD SHEPHERDS WITH GREAT, GREAT JOY (CAROL) (Click here)
A simple-to- learn children's carol which tells of the birth of Jesus and the Salvation story

BEFORE THE CREATION, THE WORD WAS WITH GOD (HYMN) (Click Here)
A sung version of The Christmas Gospel (John 1. 1 - 15). Sing it  to the tune 'To God be The Glory'

BE STILL, SMALL EARTH (aka CAROL OF THE COSMOS) (Click Here),
This carol celebrates the cosmic disturbances that marked the birth of Jesus. It is written to be sung to the hymn tune from Finlandia (Please observe the copyright note printed with this carol).

BETHLEHEM EMBATTLED Click Here 
A poem reflecting the sadness of modern-day Bethlehem.

CAROL OF THE GOOD NEWS Click Here

A Carol celebrating the Shepherds as the first evangelists

CHRISTINGLE - 4 Suggestions Click Here
Four ideas to make your Christingle even more special. (All tried and tested)

CHRISTMAS PLACE MAT

Features a CLIMERICK to prompt discussion about our response to Climate concerns around  one of the Festive mealtimes. CLICK HERE

CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVALS - CLICK HERE

Create a cardboard tree and cover it with pieces of red, green and gold scrap paper. Then go to the CLIMERICKS site to find seasonal rhymes to raise the questions of our care/ stewardship for the only planet we know to have been visited by Jesus.

CLOSING THE FOLIO OF THE YEAR
A meditation on the emotions of the closing year CLICK HERE

DEEPEST HUMILITY Click Here
Poem with the possibility of being turned into a Carol 

GIFTS OF THE MAGI: THREE SONNETS. CLICK HERE

Reflections on the way in which the gifts of the Magi may have been of practical use imagined through the eyes of one of the Magi, of Joseph and of the Angel.

GO TO NAZARETH MY GREAT MESSENGER (CAROL) Click Here Imagines God instructing His Angels from The Annunciation to the warning to Joseph to flee with his new family 
to Egypt. Lively dance-style tune.

GRACIOUS GOD DRAW ME CLOSER Click HERE

Meditation/ Prayer from Creation to Salvation in Jesus

I REMEMBER, OH HOW I REMEMBER (Shepherds' Message) CLICK HERE

The Shepherds are excited and just have to tell their story: thus becoming the first evangelists.

MEDITATION ON APPROACHING THE MANGER: A challenge to each one of us Click HERE

MYSTERIOUS VISITOR Click here
Come Jesus, come now again,...

O CHRISTMAS TREE WITH ANGEL THRONG Click HERE

Celebration of the Angels’ appearance to the shepherds

OVER PLAINS OF ARABIA ONE CRYSTAL NIGHT (STAR OF JUBILEE) Click Here. Story of the Star sung to the Shaker Tune used for Sidney Carter’s 'Lord of the Dance’

****PASS THE (EMPTY) PARCEL Click Here
A simple twist to a favourite game leading to messages of Justice and Love

PRAISE THE CREATOR GOD Click Here
Hills of The North Rejoice reframed to start with creation and build to the crescendo of Advent

**** SHEPHERDS TALE (Click Here)
An INTERACTIVE way of telling the story of the shepherds that involves EVERY (mobile) member of your fellowship/ congregation. With complete script.

SHEPHERDS AND WOMEN UNHEEDED: A short poem  for both Christmas and Easter that celebrates God’s choice of the first evangelists of the two great events of Jesus’ life. CLICK HERE

STABLE TALK (CAROL) - See below ‘This Manger’s Well Made’
A new carol that gives Joseph a ‘voice’ in the stable as he imagines the future for his new-born son

STARS AND PLANETS SING YOUR GLORY  (HYMN) (Click here).
This hymn of praise, (can be sung ‘Lux Eoi’ (preferred tune) or to the Beethoven tune used for 'Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee’ or another 8.8.8.8 tune) is suitable as a Christmas hymn but can also be used at other times to celebrate Christ as the Lord of the entire cosmos.

STAR OF BETHLEHEM (Click Here)
A short poem reflecting on what might/ might not have been the nature of the Nativity Star

STAR OF HIGH HEAVEN by John B Hobbs (Click Here)

Children’s Carol for the Epiphany to the Low German Folk tune

‘Dat Du min leefste büst'

THE CHRIST CHILD: ETERNITY IS BLESSED (Click Here)
Meditation for Christmas

THE CRIB & THE COSMOS (Click Here)
Meditation for Christmas

THIRTEENTH NIGHT: A Retrospect of Christmas from Annunciation to Flight into Egypt giving opportunity during Epiphany to look back over/ reflect on the whole of the Christmas story in Poetry, song and contemporary Carols. CLICK HERE

THIS MANGER'S WELL MADE (Stable Talk) (Click HERE)
A new carol that gives Joseph a ‘voice’ in the stable as he imagines the future for his new-born son

THE WITNESS OF THE SHEPHERDS (Click Here)

The Shepherds as the first witnesses to the coming of the Messiah

VIVID WINTER'S MORN (CAROL) (Click here)
This carol is intended to be played and sung in rock style

WOOD AND NAILS (Click Here)
Reflection on the beauty of the child Jesus - and his ongoing life and death

**** WISE MEN'S TALE (Click Here)
An INTERACTIVE way of telling the story of the wise men that involves EVERY (mobile) member of your fellowship/ congregation With complete script.