In the Days of the Angels: Stories and Carols for Christmas

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In the Days of the Angels: Stories and Carols for Christmas

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 7 ratings · 4 reviews

"In the perfect center of all my circles and of all the spheres of all the world--is Jesus. Here! Come and see! Can you see the tiny baby born? Can you see the Infant King? Can you recognize in him Immanuel? Now you are seeing Christmas."

And so, in this collection of powerful and evocative stories and essays, does Walter Wangerin open our eyes--and our hearts--to the truth...more "In the perfect center of all my circles and of all the spheres of all the world--is Jesus. Here! Come and see! Can you see the tiny baby born? Can you see the Infant King? Can you recognize in him Immanuel? Now you are seeing Christmas."

And so, in this collection of powerful and evocative stories and essays, does Walter Wangerin open our eyes--and our hearts--to the truth of Christmas. A young boy, intent on self-protection, recognizes in his father's preparations for Christmas "a hope that risks a violent hurt"--and lays bare his heart to love. And so do we. A young girl, encountering death for the first time, finds hope in an empty manger. With her we, too, find hope. A family torn apart by grief finds Christmas once again--and when they do, we weep for both their pain and joy. We weep for ourselves.

The African hornbill gives up flight and freedom for the sake of her chicks--and we can only bow our hearts in wonder and gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ, who forsook the glory of heaven to take upon himself the form of man. So much did he love us!

The original carols woven throughout this beautiful book, three with musical scores included, are meant to be read or sung aloud. From the whimsical "Sing Softly the Cherries," to the joyful "Carol of All the Instruments," to the triumphant "In the Days of the Angels," Wangerin illuminates and celebrates the true meaning of Christmas. Come worship Immanuel with him.

As rare and precious as the gifts the magi brought the Christ child are the jewels presented in these pages by one of America's most beloved Christian storytellers. Full of vivid imagery and unexpected turns, the stories, essays, and original carols are lovingly crafted to reflect not only the Christmas story, but the whole of God's redemptive action in the world:

I will love you till day is done--
Love you until that night,
Night of dying,
Dies in rising!
Then in the holy dawn
I will bear you, my children, home--

Such is the beauty and power of these compelling pieces, whether you read them silently by the fire or aloud at your Advent celebration, you'll want to return to them year after year, again and again.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

ebook, 176 pages

Published May 19th 2010 by WaterBrook Press (first published October 17th 2000)

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Dec 14, 2011 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spirituality-and-theology, advent-christmas

"In the Days of Angels" is a collection of short stories and songs related to Christmas. I picked it up because I enjoy reading books like this during Advent. Creative writers like Wangerin help me see nuances in Christmas story that I would otherwise easily miss.

The stories all feel autobiographical - though I'm not sure that's necessarily the case. One gut-wrenching story about his brother, a college football star, seemed to indicate that he had only two siblings. However later in the book ano...more "In the Days of Angels" is a collection of short stories and songs related to Christmas. I picked it up because I enjoy reading books like this during Advent. Creative writers like Wangerin help me see nuances in Christmas story that I would otherwise easily miss.

The stories all feel autobiographical - though I'm not sure that's necessarily the case. One gut-wrenching story about his brother, a college football star, seemed to indicate that he had only two siblings. However later in the book another story featured a larger family. So...I was a bit confused and just assumed one or both were supposed to have been considered fiction.

The author is a musician in addition to being a writer. The included songs are beautiful and provide interesting breaks between the stories. I appreciated their placement between the stories because sometimes reading a collection of fiction or memoir-ish essays can feel like watching too many TV shows in a row - they all blend together. The songs, by and large, are simple, but deeply emotional reflections on the advent season. (One song I would describe as whimsical rather than deeply emotional, but it's only one). Music for each song is included in the back of the book.

Walt Wangerin is clearly a gifted writer. He writes like a poet, with sentences that have been carefully crafted, and with imagery and powerful subtleties. Fans of real "literature" (if you'll allow the generalization) will enjoy Wangerin's writing.

I thought this book was moody (for lack of a better word). Unlike other Christmas books I've read it didn't leave me hopeful, or even reverent. I closed the book feeling sort of "down." I found many of the stories to be somewhere on the spectrum between melancholy and heart-breaking. I don't fault Wangerin for writing stories that I consider "moody," it's just not my preferred emotion for holiday reading. I realize, however, that the Christmas season can be a sensitive, painful time for some people. With that in mind I think this collection will be a blessing to many, many readers.
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Dec 29, 2011 Leah Beecher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book.
I picked it up over ten years ago, and read at least a few stories from it every year it gets un-packed with all my other Christmas stuff.
The first story "The Manger is Empty" is so beautiful.
This collection of Christmas stories is head and shoulders above the usual "Hallmark-y" Christmas collections that publishing companies dole out like so much cheap candy every December.
Truly beautifully written with depth and artistic prose, Christ-centered, and encouraging.
If you read thes...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Marie Mclean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a great Christmas read! I love Wangerins' writing skills- , crafted beautifully, poetic, powerful!

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Mar 04, 2012 Isabelle added it · review of another edition

This is a good book about Jesus Christ. I love it so much!!!
It is a good Christmas book and I love it!!

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Mar 21, 2013 Elle Sabine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 15, 2013 Igraine marked it as auf-gar-keinen-fall · review of another edition

Jan 21, 2013 Anna marked it as catalogged · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Jan 09, 2013 Mkaylsworth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mar 11, 2012 Eric Cherry marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mar 11, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jul 29, 2011 Sara marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 15, 2011 Festival of Faith & Writing added it · review of another edition

Shelves: festival-2012

Apr 15, 2011 Margie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jul 14, 2010 Kathy added it · review of another edition

Apr 23, 2010 Mike Elliott rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oct 11, 2008 J.D. marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Oct 01, 2007 Ariel (AJ) Vanderhorst added it · review of another edition

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About Walter Wangerin Jr.

Walter Wangerin Jr. is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on the issues of faith and spirituality. Starting with the renowned Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin's writing career has encompassed most every genre: fiction, essay, short story, children's story, meditation, and biblical exposition. His writing voice is immediately recognizable, and his fans number in the mill...more

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The Book of the Dun Cow (Chauntecleer the Rooster, #1)

The Book of Sorrows (Chauntecleer the Rooster, #2)

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