our musical advent calendar, day 07

Inspired by Pinterest, Anna wanted to do an advent calendar. And inspired by Advent Conspiracy, she wanted to make it about presence, not presents. Ian had a brilliant idea to use music. We each picked out some of our favorite Christmas songs and will be counting down with festive tunes.

day 07. "Gloria" - MercyMe, The Christmas Sessions

This is a song that gets me WICKED AMPED for Christmas! I was introduced to the MercyMe Christmas album by my good friend Mr. Fox, and was, I admit, a bit skeptical. "How in the world could a pop-rock/Christian/country/Christmas album be so good?" I thought. The answer: it just is.

Cover to cover, The Christmas Sessions may be my all time favorite Christmas album, up there with Bing, Ella, Elf, and Sufjan, and "Gloria" is its best song. A reprise of the classic choir hymn, "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Gloria" teems with thick guitar licks, thumping bass lines, and a heart-wrenching crescendo into the song's final choruses that sends shivers down my spine and fills my heart with so much joy. It's a song that, at its core, praises God for the significance of the day He came to be God Among Us. Can I get a gloria in excelsis deo?

— Ian

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the glad song's tidings be?
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King

See Him in a manger lay
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise

How could Heaven's heart not break
On the day, the day that You came?
Salvation's reason to celebrate
On the day, the day that You came

Gloria, gloria, gloria