Christian Living · Discipleship · Encouragement · Faith ·

“I Heard the Bells” and the Hope of Christ with Caroline Cobb | Ep. 95

On today’s episode, we kick off a fun series for Advent! Advent is a cherished tradition where we are invited to prepare our hearts for Christmas. This year, The Daily Grace Co. team collaborated on a special Advent study that focuses on timeless hymns of the season (you can find that here). The first hymn we wanted to highlight on the podcast is called “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”. We are grateful to have singer/songwriter Caroline Cobb join us to help us dig into this hymn. She also shares her beautiful rendition of the song, which is did with singer/songwriter Sean Carter. You don’t want to miss this! Be sure to follow Caroline Cobb on Instagram @carolinecobbmusic and check out her website here.

Background:

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a timeless Christmas hymn, but it is often not ranked as a favorite. We think that taking some time to consider the history of the song and digging into the lyrics will increase our affections for this song and, more importantly, for Christ. “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” was written by poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and it was written during a time of personal grief. The song explores the dissonance so many of us often feel in this world: we feel brokenness and suffering; we see the darkness around us; yet we also enjoy and participate in the joy of Christmas. For believers, this is our reality in every season. We live in the “already, not yet”. We acknowledge the effects of the fall and grieve over them, but we do not grieve without hope. We trust that the promises of God are enduring anchors to cling onto in every season of life. This year, we can feel the dissonance even more acutely, but if we’re in Christ, we can rejoice all the more that Jesus has come and He will come again!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Scripture mentioned in this episode:

  • Philippians 3:20
  • 1 Chronicles 6
  • 1 Chronicles 25
  • Colossians 3:16
  • Ephesians 5:18
  • Luke 2:10
  • Psalm 13:1-2
  • Psalm 121:3
  • Romans 8:28-29
  • Revelation 21:3-5

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The opinions of guests on the Daily Grace podcast do not represent the opinions of The Daily Grace Co., and we do not necessarily endorse the resources that they recommend or mention on the show. We believe it is valuable to hear from a variety of guests, even if we do not agree in all areas. As always, the statements made by hosts and guests on the show should be tested against God's Word, the only authority on truth.

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