Heaven Came Down
Seminary President Releases New Christmas Single
Singer/songwriter, seminary president and theologian Michael Milton has released a Christmas single, “When Heaven Came Down,” a song with three movements intended to segue listeners through the events of Christ’s life, from His birth to His Second Coming.
“The song was composed to create a listening experience of moving from memories of church services, to the still, quiet moment of Incarnation, then lifting one’s eyes and heart into the starry night and the glory of the theme of His coming repeated again and again until a new heaven and new earth becomes the still, eternal climax to the song,” says Milton, chancellor/CEO-elect of Reformed Theological Seminary.
A choir singing “Once In Royal David’s City,” fades into church bells before moving into the second movement, a calm reminiscent of a winter night. The second part, which takes on a lilting, lullaby feel, features Milton and his duet partner, Cindy Gibbs. The postlude focuses on repeated phrasing to build to the moment of Christ’s Second Coming.
The song, which Milton wrote and arranged, also showcases Tiger Bell, Merle Haggard’s fiddle player.
The multi-talented pastor, who Christianitytoday.com has compared to Neil Young, Steven Curtis Chapman and Dan Fogelberg, received rave reviews when his latest full-length CD, Through the Open Door, was released earlier this year, with Christianitytoday.com calling the music, “…musically opulent and emotionally stirring.”
“When Heaven Came Down” is available on iTunes and at michaelmilton.org.
About Michael Milton:
Milton, the Chancellor/CEO-Elect of Reformed Theological Seminary, is an ordained Presbyterian pastor who earned his doctorate degree in theology from The University of Wales and holds multiple degrees from such respected institutions as Knox Theological Seminary, MidAmerica Nazarene University and the Defense Language Institute. He also currently serves as Professor of Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Milton has released three CDs, penned 11 books and writes for numerous scholarly periodicals. He was appointed to the College of Military Preachers, serves as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve and is an instructor at the Armed Forces Chaplain School. But anyone who has listened to his music can attest that “stuffy” is not a word that is found in his vocabulary. Much like his friend and sometimes musical collaborator, legendary Christian singer/songwriter Michael Card (“El Shaddai”), Milton has an uncanny ability to unpack complex theological concepts into everyday language and wrap them in warm, earthy melodies that make them both memorable and accessible.
Milton’s latest CD, Through the Open Door, is available through Music for Missions, an independent record label that donates two-thirds of profits to various mission organizations. Proceeds from the project go to Reformed Theological Seminary for the education of pastors and missionaries.
For more information on Milton and Through the Open Door, visit throughtheopendoor.org or michaelmilton.org.
