Five years ago, Urban Skye came out with the Advent Guide, Gloria in Excelsis Deo: The Deep Theology of Christmas Carols. For 2026, we are presenting part two of that very popular guide. The carols we’ll ponder are:  “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “We Three Kings,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Good King Wenceslas.” There is one carol for each week of Advent, one for either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, and a bonus devotion this time. When we realized that the "Feast of Stephen" is the day after Christmas, we had to add that wonderful carol about the Bohemian nobleman who cared for the poor on that day.

Each week is introduced by original artwork accompanying the devotion. We are pleased to have featured five different artists from The Christos Collective in this year’s guide. (And six different devotional authors.) This Advent, may you sing the old carols with renewed vitality, uninhibited

joy, and deeper reverence.