Issue 940 – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like… – December 21, 2022
Today’s image is the view out my home office window early yesterday morning. There was still green grass the day before. Our eldest granddaughter had prayed for a “White Christmas” and now, “It’s beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
I don’t think many people are thinking, “Let it Snow, Let it Snow.” Here on the west coast of Canada, there isn’t the infrastructure to deal with that sort of snowfall. Even this morning, many of the buses still aren’t running because they can’t get the roads cleared fast enough.
As you no doubt noticed, I’ve used the snowfall as an excuse to drop in the names of several popular Christmas songs.
According to several sources, the most popular Christmas songs are:
All I Want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy
Williams
Last Christmas – Wham
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas –
Michael Bublé
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
Let it, Snow! Let it, Snow! Let it Snow – Frank
Sinatra
It says something about our culture when none of the top Christmas songs have anything to do with Christ.
The Christo-centric (Christ-centred) songs still get a lot of airplay but rank well down the list in popularity.
One traditional Christmas carol, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” composed by Charles Wesley, has its heart in the right place but fails the fact test.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving pow’r,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
The angels did not sing the good news to the shepherds; they spoke them.
The lyrics that Christ came to bring peace on earth are only partially correct. He came to “peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Those picayune (trivial) critiques aside, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing offers a theologically sound celebration of Christmas.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:8-14
I enjoy a wide range of Christmas songs, some of them theologically correct and others simply silly fun (“Six White Boomers,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’” and “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.”)
Whatever you listen to and however you celebrate the Christmas season, remember to keep your eyes on Christ. He is the best Christmas gift ever.
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2022 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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