Singer/songwriter, author and theologian Michael Milton is set to unveil his first Christmas CD, When Heaven Came Down, on October 23. The 15-song collection of original compositions evokes a peaceful atmosphere in which to celebrate and contemplate the Advent and Christmas seasons.

"When Heaven Came Down is a desire to express the drama, beauty and wonder of the Incarnation, when God became Man," Milton says about the new CD. "The songs range in feel from Celtic to ballads to symphonic. Yet the scarlet thread that ties them all together is, well, I will say it again, 'wonder.' It is my prayer that the listener will come away from this album sensing that heaven has come down personally, intimately, and hopefully. This album is also a gift to those who will one day declare these truths to others, as I have composed and recorded this album with 100 percent of proceeds from the CD itself going to scholarships at Reformed Theological Seminary."

Milton employs acoustic guitar and accordion to accentuate his tender Advent ballad, "Fullness of Time," while Old English rhythms and whistles accentuate the lilting, "Gift of Incarnation." Milton's voice takes on a plaintive, James Taylor-esque tone in his wistfully pensive "Wandering Star."

Milton is joined by vocalist Cindy Gibbs on the touching ballad "Jesus Came," a simple and yet poignant tune enhanced at first by Milton's gentle piano work before swelling with lush, yet understated, strings. Memories of his childhood years form the foundation for the Americana-inflected folk song "To Bethlehem," and Milton reminds us of the central role played by the man who raised the Savior of the world in the piano ballad "Joseph Was a Tender Man." Award winning singer/songwriter Buddy Greene ("Mary, Did You Know?") joins Milton on harmonica for the down-home "Carolina Christmas."

When Heaven Came Down will be released through Music for Missions and distributed through Ingram Distribution. The project will be available online through iTunes, Amazon MP3, Rhapsody, and other online distributors.

For more information about Milton and When Heaven Came Down, visit michaelmilton.org.

About Michael Milton:
Milton, the Chancellor and CEO 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 and writes commentaries that appear in national newspapers and publications.

The multi-talented pastor and musician, who Christianitytoday.com has compared to Neil Young, Steven Curtis Chapman and Dan Fogelberg, received rave reviews when his Through the Open Door CD was released in 2011, with Christianitytoday.com calling the music, "...musically opulent and emotionally stirring."

Milton has released three CDs, 15 books and writes for numerous popular and scholarly periodicals. He is the host/speaker of Faith for Living TV (faithforlivingtv.com), a nationally broadcast Bible teaching program. 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 that makes them both memorable and accessible.

Milton's current book releases include Songs in the Night: How God Transforms Our Pain to Praise from P&R Publishing and the third edition of What God Starts, God Completes: Help and Hope for Hurting People by Christian Focus Publications.

For more information on Michael Milton, visit michaelmilton.org.