Originally published Monday, 23 December 2013.
Dr. David Jeremiah of Turning Point Ministries made some interesting comments about Christmas songs last week. First, he remarked in his sermon how singing is integral to the Christian faith. The praise in our heart needs expression. We see this demonstrated by the many songs in scripture and the popularity of Christian music, especially at Christmas. Recently I had the privilege of seeing the New York Philharmonic perform Handel's Messiah, for instance. Scripture was sung for almost two hours in the heart of Manhattan, and it was incredible on many levels.
Dr. Jeremiah made a surprising observation about the Bible too. The books that have the most songs are Psalms, Revelation, and the Gospel of Luke. I would have expected the former, but I would not have guessed the latter. I have always appreciated Luke's gospel for its attention to social justice and the treatment of women, but now I like it for its songs too. It contains six songs in its first two chapters, and all of them surround our Saviors' birth.
Luke knew it, and we know it: The birth of Christ is something to sing about. Whether it's the sound of giddy children singing with a humbling innocence, whether it's an adult clinging to the hope of familiar choruses in their own dark night, or whether it's experiencing the joy of communities coming together in witness to a hope that's bigger than our everyday worries, we sing. And we are inspired.
Have you ever read the history behind the songs we treasure as our hope at Christmas? Click here to read my favorite article that I came across this season: http://www.incourage.me/2013/12/history-of-christmas-carols.html. Its author tells us the history behind five Christmas classics and includes a link to hear her favorite rendition of them. I pray this historical exploration enriches the joy these carols bring you and your families this Christmas.
Merry Christmas! Be sure to check out my recent article on iBelieve entitled "Reclaiming Christmas." It will be featured Christmas Day on the homepage.
{Photo by Sister 72 at Flickr}
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