Shane and Joy go to the International Church in Aix, which puts on a Christmas Carol concert every year. It's fun to go sing Christmas carols in English, as well as see Shane conducting. AND, there's a candlelight ceremony at the end, which...even though it isn't on Christmas Eve, it fills up my candlelight cup.
It seems that this year, I cannot get enough of Christmas carols. I went to a cookie exchange party where we sang a whole schlew of carols before trading our cookies. And then I went to the International Church of Marseille's Christmas Carol concert. And I'm listening to them all day long at the house and on the ipod. AND, I've been doing a morning devotional each morning that is based off of one of the Christmas carols in our hymnals.
It seems that this year, I cannot get enough of Christmas carols. I went to a cookie exchange party where we sang a whole schlew of carols before trading our cookies. And then I went to the International Church of Marseille's Christmas Carol concert. And I'm listening to them all day long at the house and on the ipod. AND, I've been doing a morning devotional each morning that is based off of one of the Christmas carols in our hymnals.
There are some beautifully amazing truths in carols. Look at a few of these lines:
- O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice!
- Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord, that hath made heaven and earth of naught, and with His blood mankind has bought.
- God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise!
- How silently the gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
- Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity.
- Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.
- Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.
- Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
- In all our trials born to be our Friend. He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger.
This year I read two different books that talked about Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 about the need to be born again. We, who are dead in our hearts, get new life, a second birth, so that we can have...life...hope...peace...joy...forgiveness...true blessings...love. All of the warm fuzzy feelings that Christmas stirs up in us, that cause our eyes to well up with tears when we hear "I'll be home for Christmas," or when we watch "It's a Wonderful Life," all those sentiments we wrap up into the holiday season...they're just a shadow.
They're a shadow of the Light that came into the world so many years ago, born that we may no more die. Born to be our Friend. Pleased to come and dwell with us, in us. Pleased to impart all the blessings of heaven to us because His birth, death, and resurrection brought us redemption, reconciliation, rebirth.
Oh what joy, that we get to celebrate "the dawn of redeeming grace," that comes through the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! It's worth singing about.
1 comments:
beautiful!! My favorite is "Hail the Heav'n-born Prince of Peace, Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings..."
This year, I discovered the never-sung (why ever not?!) second verse of "O Holy Night" -- the best one, imho, and a perfect link between the other two:
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts we stand by the Babe adored.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
And come now, Shepherds, from your flocks unboard.
The Son of God lay thus within lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our Lord.
He knows our need, our weakness never lasting,
Behold your King! By Him, let Earth accord!
Behold your King! By Him, let Earth accord!
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