It’s Christmas week, and we’ve already ended up with more chocolate selection boxes than is good for us, which is traditional. I can’t share those with you, but I would like to share a selection box of some of the things I’ve enjoyed online from Ireland this Christmas season…
– Here’s an encouraging article from an Irish pastor about what God was doing through Mary’s visit to Elisabeth: https://gentlereformation.com/2020/12/18/marys-visit-to-elizabeth/
– Here are some photos of Christmas celebrations in Ireland from every decade of the twentieth century: https://www.dailyedge.ie/christmas-in-ireland-photos-twentieth-century-1787664-Dec2014/
– This is a beautiful reading of the Christmas story by people in our adopted home county, Cork:
– Keith and Kristyn Getty (from Northern Ireland) have made a lot of great music over the years, and this Christmas album has become a traditional part of every December at our house: https://store.gettymusic.com/uk/album/joy-an-irish-christmas/
– Here’s a flashback to a short poem I wrote about Good Friday, and why that holiday is exactly what makes Christmas something to celebrate – even (especially!) on hard years like this one: https://sethlewis.ie/2018/12/23/good-friday-a-poem-for-christmas/
Bonus:
It’s not from Ireland, but this is my favourite new Christmas song of the year. It’s been playing a lot in our house, which is in Ireland, and it will also be sung at our church’s Christmas Day service, so that’s a connection, right? The poem above tried to capture why Jesus came, and this song captures beautifully who he came for:
Wishing you and yours the joy of the season, even in these difficult times. Christ is born — Immanuel, God with us.
sethlewis.ie 
This is great. Thank you, Seth.
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