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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Christmas Carols/Carolling (10/02/08)
A full, pale yellow moon hung low against the velvet blackness the star-spattered sky as the shepherds gathered around their campfires and settled in for a night’s sleep in the hills outside the little town Bethlehem. The familiar, distant sounds of their flocks were the only thing disturbing the silence of what was just another ordinary night marking the end of a long hard day.

On the eastern horizon a mysterious lone star hovered, brilliant and stationary, a yet to be discovered and understood beacon of hope illuminating and proclaiming the most miraculous event the world would ever witness.

Suddenly, a cold wind stirred, bringing with it a soul-penetrating sense of expectancy and unexplainable excitement that drew the shepherds to their feet, the breath from their lungs and their searching eyes skyward. What was it, an approaching storm? But the night sky was clear, not a cloud in sight!

Shivering, they drew their cloaks tight around their bodies and waited, but for what?

Then, suddenly, a brilliant light released from Heaven above vanquished the darkness and bathed the surrounding countryside in glorious glow as the shepherds discovered an angel of the Lord standing in their midst! In fear, they covered their faces and fell to the ground.

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign you; You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in manger,” the angel proclaimed with a mighty voice that echoed off the hills and vibrated on the night air.

Then, just as suddenly, there appeared a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was that on an ordinary night over 2,000 years ago the first Christmas carol was sung by the heavenly host- proclaiming an event that now reigns forever in the history of mankind - never to be forgotten and never to be repeated. It was a night into which a baby was born as the Savior of the world, lying in a manger among the beasts of the earth. Oh what a night!
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
10/10/08
A nice re-telling of the Christmas story...

...but in a writing contest where creativity is one of the goals, consider finding a way to bring something new to the story. The thoughts of one particular shepherd, perhaps, or a ewe giving birth at the same time, or the POV of someone in Bethlehem looking toward the hills, for example.

This was very pleasant to read, and the writing was fine.
Beth LaBuff 
10/13/08
Yes, this was the first Christmas carol… and we still sing these words today. I liked your description of the setting, "full, pale yellow moon….velvet blackness…star-spattered sky." This thought is so good, "proclaiming an event that now reigns forever in the history of mankind - never to be forgotten and never to be repeated."