Christmas in Harmony

By Philip Gulley

Philip Gulley takes us to Harmony, Indiana, at Christmastime as inspiration strikes the inimitable Dale Hinshaw. Always looking for a way to increase the church's profit margins, Hinshaw brainstorms a progressive nativity scene that will involve the whole town, complete with a map like those for the Hollywood stars. Neither Pastor Sam Gardner nor the other members of the Harmony Friends meeting express any enthusiasm for this idea, but Dale is unstoppable. Meanwhile, Pastor Sam has his own concerns: he's having his annual argument with his wife, and he's worried that the four-slotted toaster he bought for her may be too lavish a gift.

Amidst the bustle of the season, the citizens of Harmony experience the simple joys and sometime loneliness that often go unseen. Sam comes to the realization that Dale, in his own misguided way, is only trying to draw meaning from the eternal story of Christmas. "In this unsettled world, it is good to have this steadiness -- the Christmas Eve service, the peal of the bell. . . .There is a holiness to memory, a sense of God's presence in these mangers of the mind. Which might explain why it is that the occasions that change the least are often the very occasions that change us the most."

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061741302

Philip Gulley

Philip Gulley is a Quaker minister, writer, husband, and father. He is the bestselling author of Front Porch Tales, the acclaimed Harmony series, and is coauthor of If Grace Is True and If God Is Love. Gulley lives with his wife and two sons in Indiana, and is a frequent speaker at churches, colleges, and retreat centers across the country.

Reviews for Christmas in Harmony

[sgilbraith-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As amazing as always. Reading books in this series is like coming home to old friends.

[nadinec.keels · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Don't look at the warm and lovely cover of this Christmas novella and get the notion that it must just be a sweet, sweet, sweet little holiday tale.Not unlike other books in the Harmony series, this one is ironic. A tad irreverent in a spot or two (but not vulgar). Downright hilarious. And it has a poignant thread running through it that, doggone it, left me with a bona fide tear in my eye.Now, also like one other book in the series so far, Sam's first-person narration is fine for himself, but it doesn't really make sense when he starts narrating about other people and somehow knows their thoughts. There's also a bit of trouble with verb tenses, when the narration of one event or another will switch from present to past tense or vise versa.Nevertheless, I found it to be such a satisfying read, not limited to the warm sentiments reflected in the lovely cover but altogether warm (and hilarious!) and lovely just the same.

[laugal-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ALLLL of Philip Gulley's books are worth the read. You will laugh,chuckle and giggle all the way thru. His characters are believable and we ll know people like them.His stories are sentimental.
Pick a book by Gulley and enjoy the chuckles and sentiments.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love this series set in Harmony, Indiana, and featuring Pastor Sam Gardner, his family and his Quaker congregation at Harmony Friends Meeting. In this installment, the board of elders has taken Dale Hinshaw’s suggestion (demand?) to skip the Christmas Eve service in favor of a “progressive Nativity Scene.” Well, it started as just a live Nativity scene, but he realized it was too big to house in one location (the local park being unavailable for a religious display). So Dale has built a manger in his yard, with the animals housed at Sam’s house, the Holy Family at Asa Peacock’s farm, the Wise Men at Bea’s home, and ending at Fern’s house where the Friendly Women would sell hot chocolate and cookies. With Dale in charge, things are bound to go wrong, and Sam will be left trying to clean up the mess – and I’m not just talking about the pigs in his garage. But, regardless, Sam will find the meaning in Christmas, and he will be reminded of the joys of the season, and the reason we celebrate the Birth of Jesus. It’s a charming, quick read, full of humor and tenderness. Perfect for this holiday season. P.S. I know this is a re-read for me, but I have no idea when I first read it. Perhaps a year or so after it was first published.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great book to read this time of year. As Pastor Sam Gardner reminiscences about Christmases growing up in the small town of Harmony, we get insight into the current changes his congregation are planning this year. Dale Hinshaw, wants to have a progressive Nativity scene instead of the usual Christmas celebration. This book is incredibly funny, especially when we find out how this Nativity scene affects the different people living in Harmony, including the Pastor. I thinks it's been my favorite Christmas story in 2015.

[bookappeal · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Pointless story. Choose a different Christmas story from the many better authors in the world.

[alincolnnut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This short Christmas story stands out of time in Philip Gulley's wonderful Harmony series, though it was published around the time that the third novel in the series, Signs and Wonders, was published. In this simple Christmas tale, long-suffering Quaker pastor Sam Gardner deals with another hair-brained evangelism scheme from one of the elders, the irrepressible Dale Hinshaw.Seeking to do something bold, and financially rewarding, with the annual Christmas Eve service, Dale suggests a living Nativity scene. The catch is that no one's yard is large enough to accomodate all the characters and animals that Dale envisions. Instead of getting smaller, he imagines an even larger project, complete with floodlights, audio equipment, radio broadcast, and a $10 map of the event.This is a whimsical Christmas tale told in the gentle spirit of the rest of the Harmony novels. Unlike other Christmas stories, it does not beat its moral over everyone's head. But despite this noticeable restraint, which makes the story feel more natural than most other Christmas-branded stories, the short novella is not quite up to the quality of Gulley's other novels -- not nearly as perfect as Just Shy of Harmony and without the memorable hysterical moments of Signs and Wonders. Still, it has a quiet charm and is worth the hour it takes to read.