Issue 1326 – Christmas Music – December 20, 2023
If I mention Christmas songs or carols, what comes to mind? Some people think the media starts playing them too early in the year or too often. Others can hardly wait for that season to commence.
Some love the deep theological classics like “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas,” “Grandma got run over by a reindeer,” or “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus.”
Others like sentimental songs from the media of the 20th century, “White Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” or Walking in a Winter Wonderland.”
Still, others begin to think and sing overtly Christian songs and hymns that the church has loved for centuries. O holy Night (1847); Silent Night (1818); O Come Emmanuel (written in Latin many centuries ago but translated to English in 1861), and many more.
Lectionaries and hymnals often suggest that reading a Psalm of lament accompanies O Come Emmanuel.
While we rejoice at Christmas, there is also a deep sense of God’s people for millennia who were awaiting the coming of the Messiah. Similarly, it has now been nearly 2,000 years since He left, and while we are reconciled to the Father and have peace, there is also a sense of longing and lamenting as we await His return.
The oldest known Christmas song was the “Angels Hymn.” A Roman Bishop proclaimed people should sing “in the Night of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour.” To my knowledge, there is no record of that particular song’s lyrics or melody, so we probably won’t sing it this year.
Another early one was “Jesus Refulsit Omnium” (“Jesus, Light of All the Nations”), written by St. Hilary of Poitier in the 4th century.
On the newer side of things, a few years ago, when we lived in Clearwater, I was introduced to a fresh take on an old standby, “Oh come all ye unfaithful,” by Sovereign Grace Music. It speaks of the reason Christ came and offers hope to those who don’t believe they deserve Christ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-QHbpYjuIg
Of course, no one deserves Christ on their own merit, but sometimes our awareness drives us from Him in condemnation not towards Him in penitent conviction.
Unknown to most modern Christians, there were three Psalms traditionally associated with Christmas reading and/or singing. Psalms 96, 97, and 98 made a trilogy of worship.
As one writer put it, “As bookends, Psalms 96 and 98 begin with an exhortation to sing a new song to the Lord. All three psalms depict the cosmos bursting out in joyful song at the coming of the Lord. The coming King will judge with truth and righteousness. Experienced together, the three psalms are breathtaking, and the connection to Christmas is natural. The confession of the early church was “Christ is King; Jesus is Lord.” These psalms orient us to Jesus, his coming to us and his righteous reign.”
There isn’t room this morning to post them all, but I recommend you read them as a set as part of your Advent meditation.
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98
While I confess I would not be keen on a steady diet of songs from the Psalter, I do believe that we miss much of our connection with our fellow saints from the past when we don’t sing from it, at least on occasion.
In these days leading up to Christmas, may you be caught up in songs of praise.
Be blessed
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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