We continue our series on Melodies of Hope: Hymns From Advent and Christmastide. Each year, our churches sing a familiar rotation of Advent and Christmas hymns, often without knowing their meaning and context. To provide a fresh take on the Christmas carol canon, we’ve enlisted eight worship leaders, songwriters and thinkers from around C4SO to tell us a favorite Advent or Christmas hymn, giving us historical and musical context, and a word of good news each hymn speaks to us today.

This episode’s song is “Savior of the Nations Come” and our guest is Bruce Benedict. Bruce works as the chaplain of Worship Arts at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He helped to start Cardiphonia Music and runs the Liturgy Fellowship page on Facebook. Bruce also has a local arts group called “Bellwether Arts” that does projects around the church calendar, including a current project on the “Stations of the Resurrection.” Bruce is married to a theater artist named Paula Jo and they have two kids – Aaron and Eliza.

The recording featured in this episode is “Savior of the Nations, Come” arr. by Bruce Benedict, from the album By All Adored: Songs for Advent and Christmas by Cardiphonia. You can purchase the track here.

• Our Cycle of Prayer Spotlight ministry this week is Luminous Anglican Church in Franklin, TN, led by the Rev. Chad Jarnagin.