Today's subject line comes from one of Howard Thurman's writings about Christmas:

There is a strange irony in the usual salutation, 'Merry Christmas,' when most of the people on this planet are thrown back upon themselves for food which they do not possess, for resources that have long since been exhausted, and for vitality which has already run its course. Nevertheless, the inescapable fact remains that Christmas symbolizes hope even at a moment when hope seems utterly fantastic. The raw materials of the Christmas mood are a newborn baby, a family, friendly animals, and labor. An endless process of births is the perpetual answer of life to the fact of death. It says that life keeps coming on, keeps seeking to fulfill itself, keeps affirming the margin of hope in the presence of desolation, pestilence, and despair.

My church choir will be singing Clif Hardin's setting of "The Work of Christmas" on Christmas Eve, at the Lessons and Carols service. It is among my favorite contemporary choral Christmas songs, along with Jason Shelton's setting of Peter Mayer's "Stables" (the closing three lines -- "Love will find a way" repeated three times -- mm, mm, mm) and Michael Harrison's "In the Lonely Midnight." (Among non-choral songs, I'm especially fond of "The Peace Carol" (aka John Denver and Scooter's duet on the Muppet Christmas Special):

The hope that has slumbered for 2000 years,
the promise that silenced 1000 fears.
A faith that can hobble an ocean of tears,
the peace of Christmas Day.

The branch that bears the bright holly,
the dove that rests in yonder tree.
The light that shines for all to see,
the peace of Christmas Day.

...and on a somewhat different note, a friend just pointed me toward Straight No Chaser's rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas. Oh, dear...

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Via Nashvillest.com: There will be a candlelight vigil to protest Proposition 8 (aka California's ban of same-sex marriage) at Nashville's Riverfront Park this Saturday at 5 p.m.. According to one of the coordinators, "This will be a quiet, peaceful vigil not involving signs or chanting...We might sing a few Christmas carols and such, but we really plan on letting our presence and the light of our candles do the talking for us." It is part of a nationwide demonstration to "Light Up The Night." (Links to other states here; not all state pages are up to date, but there may still be something planned near you.)

[ETA: Link to Out and About announcement corrected 12/18]