Musings: Christmas Hymns

I was at a conference not too long ago and the speaker was talking about how overwhelming life can be at times. He asked a great question that I had not ever really thought about - what do you do to retreat from life when you need a break? How do you regain your balance and joy when life tends to be too much to handle? (He was asking what you do in the everyday to center yourself, not about going on vacation, which is the ultimate in centering oneself as far as I'm concerned.) It was pretty obvious once I thought about it. I have always retreated to words. Words speak to me (no pun intended. I hate puns) on a level that really nothing else does. Words expressing beautiful concepts, words put together beautifully, stories that bring hope... it is these things that help to restore my equilibrium.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings

Mild he lays he glory by, born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King"!

As far as I am concerned there is almost no music as beautiful as Christmas hymns. As my poor brother-in-law will attest, I must love the words of a song if I am to love the song. (He is the music minister at our church and is forced to hear my opinion whether he wants it or not). Ravi Zacherias said it best when he said he prefers four different verses to singing the same thing over and over again. There is so much truth and beauty and doctrine and grace packed into the Christmas hymns that I do not know why we do not sing them all year long. Most of us know them by heart and can sing them without thinking about what we are singing. I challenge you to truly think about what you are singing this season. We tend to not associate worship with Christmas hymns because, well, they are Christmas music. They are reserved for one season. Yes, they give us warm fuzzy feelings of camaraderie and good memories. Yes, we can recognize most of them by just the first few notes. But do we hear the words we are singing? Do we understand the incomparable glory of the Incarnation?

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

Christmas hymns bring tears to my eyes and move my soul. They do such a wonderful job of communicating all the wonderful things the birth of Christ brought. Peace. Joy. Love. Mercy. Compassion. Grace. Atonement. Reconciliation. Glory. Redemption. Healing. Justice. Holiness. Unity. The list really could go on and on, but you get the picture. This is what centers me. When life is too much and when there is no peace to be found, I go back to the Advent. I am reminded that He has already brought healing and it is ours for the taking. I am reminded that, though I so often fall short in loving my husband, my family, my neighbor, He has given me the ability to do so and the grace to pick myself up and keep going when I fail. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

I hope that you, too, will be renewed by the beauty of Christmas hymns. Too often do we take for granted the grandeur of our hymns. I hope that you will be stirred by the magnificence of our God when you hear them. Do not be intimidated by the depth of the concepts they sing of; rather, be entranced by the depth of the love of God they display. Let them be a reminder that God is bigger than our circumstances. Let the words curl around your heart and settle your soul.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men

And in despair I bow my head

There is no peace on earth I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep

God is not dead nor does he sleep

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, goodwill to men