Repeat the Sounding Joy

A gem of a book: faithful to the text, sensitively applied, imaginatively illustrated, full of grace and wisdom, rich and deep in theology, and, most importantly, spiritually refreshing—it caused me to worship in my heart as I read. | Simply superb. A genuine model of Christian devotional writing—warm, enriching, and exciting application drawn from insightful expository and theological reflection on the biblical text. Each of these brief chapters is an absolute delight to read. This is joyful Christmastime reading for Christians of every age and experience. Very highly recommended. | In this delightful book, Christopher Ash takes us slowly but surely through the real story of Christmas from Luke’s Gospel, reflecting with insight and warmth on its deepest meaning and enabling us to both sing and pray with greater understanding and joy. A beautiful way to prepare our hearts for Christmas. | Christopher Ash shows us the refreshing, startling realities that lie behind our Christmas festivities. Whether you’re familiar with the story of the birth of Jesus or yet to be convinced it has any real relevance to life today, this will make you sit up, think again, and give thanks for these events that happened so long ago. I’m going to enjoy using it. | Christopher Ash is a proven scholar with pastoral sensibilities. His Advent meditations will give substance to the season for you and your kin. As the world turns its attention to Christmas, even as much as it tries to cover it over with Santa and sentimentalities, it unavoidably invites Christ’s people to commend him. Let’s not blush and utter a few holiday trivialities. Let’s give details and contours. Let’s provide reasons for Christmas—which begins with feeding our own souls on the substance of the season. Open to these 24 meditations each day in December and let the fresh air of Christmas sanity return to your soul. | Christopher Ash has put together a wonderful resource for Advent. Engaging explorations of Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, a prayer to pray, a hymn to sing (if you dare) and room to record your own observations. We tried them around the dinner table and they worked. Recommended. | These devotionals are digestible: they will go down easily in the busy days of Advent. They are profound: they will go down deep. Most wonderfully, they are word-filled: they will feed us with the truth and beauty of the Scriptures, and of the Savior whose advent we celebrate. | Christopher Ash has a gift from God of showing you clearly what is in Scripture which we so easily miss. It is no little thing to take familiar passages and handle them freshly, giving new insights into the wonder of who Jesus is. is full of warm, heart-searching application, terrific hymns and wonderful prayers. | I can think of no better way to approach the Christmas season than reading the richly biblical and thoughtfully pastoral meditations in Christopher Ash’s latest book. Ash always writes with an insightful sensitivity to the joys and sorrows, the hopes and fears of Christians, and these twenty-four meditations on the opening chapters of Luke’s Gospel are no exception. The meditations unfold both the wonder and the challenge of the incarnation. Reading these brief chapters will inform and inspire. I have resolved to buy copies for my children and their families. | I’ve read a number of Ash’s books and I always enjoy how he finds the balance between giving enough information, without making it too difficult. This book will be a great companion for you as you intentionally take time over advent to stop and think about the significance of Jesus. | Christopher Ash has been a pastor and is now an author and Writer-in-Residence at Tyndale House, Cambridge. He was Director of the Proclamation Trust’s Cornhill Training Course from 2004 to 2015. He is married to Carolyn, and they have four children and ten grandchildren.