Dec
12

Make This Christmas Your Own

Posted on December 12, 2017

Two Songwriters Turn Our Attention To The Meaning Of The Season

Make This Christmas Your Own

Make This Christmas Your Own

Dan Wilt (Make This Christmas Your Own)
Keys: F, G

We all know there is more to Christmas than the decorations, the presents, and even the sweet family gatherings. But sometimes, in the midst of all the activity, it can be hard to connect with the real meaning of the season.

And that’s where the music of Christmas comes in. Carols like “O Holy Night,” or “Joy To The World” help remind us of that first Noel – a night long ago when God pursued humanity with such great love.

This year two songwriters, longtime friends reunited by their mutual work in the great music city of Nashville, decided they wanted to finally finish a Christmas song that was born 25 years earlier. 

That song was “Make This Christmas Your Own” –  a song about the “more” of Christmas. The prayerful lyrics invite us to reconnect our faith with the generosity and love that marks the most wonderful time of the year. 

Writers Dan Wilt and Bruce Ellis teamed up with Nashville music producer Sam Ellis and filmmaker Ryan Smith, bringing the song to life in the historic setting of Tulip Street Methodist Church sanctuary in Nashville (home of the Vineyard Church of Nashville).

“We love to write songs,” Wilt said, "and this song about Christmas faith rising in our hearts, in the middle of all the activities of Christmas we so love, has been a favorite of ours for a long time. In the midst of all the meanings we give to the Christmas season, connecting people to the plight of the homeless through the song just seemed right. We hope ‘Make This Christmas Your Own’ reminds us all to reach out with our families this season to those in need."

Wilt then talked about the Nashville Rescue Mission, where he has occasionally spoken and led worship in their weekly chapel services. 

"The Nashville Rescue Mission has been a powerful force for change in our community. They are a Christ-centered community dedicated to helping the hungry, homeless, and hurting. Vulnerable folks in our city have found hope and transformation when they walked through NRM’s doors. We believe in what they do, and love their impact on our homeless friends in Music City.”

Wilt lives in Thompson’s Station, TN, and serves as the Director of Communications for the Vineyard Church Movement in the US – an association of churches known for its work with the poor and socially vulnerable. Ellis is the producer of the well-known house flipping program filmed in Nashville, “Masters Of Flip,” on HGTV, and lives in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. 

Listeners are encouraged to watch Dan’s talk at the end of the music video, and to consider contributing to the Nashville Rescue Mission’s work helping the homeless in Music City.

You can donate at: www.NashvilleRescueMission.org.

Category: New Releases