I hope with all my heart that these days are not filled with shopping lists, mall runs, receipts, and credit card debt.
I hope with all my heart that this holiday season is filled with joyful conversations, remembrance of hope, and songs of peace.
One of my favorite parts of Christmas is Christmas songs. I love the deep and timeless lyrics. I often wonder where those lyrics have gone in our other songs that we sing throughout the year. Is anyone writing songs that will still be echoing through our iPods and Church halls 500 years from now? I hope so.
Today, i’m remembering that there was a 400-year window of silence from God before the birth of Jesus. It took 400 years for God to speak from the last words He gave the prophets to the first words marking the birth of Jesus. I think a lot of our lyrics from Christmas songs really come to life when we think about those 400 years of silence. Let’s take a look at some my favorites::
- O Come O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that morns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears.
- Sing all ye citizens of heaven above.
- Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
- Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.
- Joyful all ye nations rise; join the triumphant of the skies.
- Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.
- A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
- Truly He taught us to love one another.
- His law is grace and His gospel is peace.
- Chains shall He break for slaves are our brothers and in His name all oppression shall cease.
Emily
December 13th, 2009
Two of my favorite lines come from the same song: “No more let sin and sorrow reign, nor thorns infest the ground - He comes to make His blessings known far as the curse is found!” And: “He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.” Thanks for sharing.
Mom
December 13th, 2009
I’m with you, the carols are timeless!
We all know the song Silent NIght, but my favorite verse is this one:
Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, Loves pure light
Radiant beams from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Allelujah
Jesus Lord at Thy birth
Jesus Lord at Thy birth
Lee
December 14th, 2009
good words brother. i hope we are writing those kinds of songs too. i love Christmas music as well. thanks for sharing these.
Mary Beth
December 14th, 2009
a newer song from relient k that i hope lasts a long time:
“i celebrate the day that you were born to die so i could one day pray for you to save my life”
hendu
December 17th, 2009
I am ashamed to admit I did not know about the 400 years of silence. And you know how much I LOVE this time of year… I can no longer look at it as simply as the celebration of the birth of a King who saved his people… it’s now the single most profound statement of forgiveness that I have ever heard about. I include the life of Christ in that “blanket statement.”
Erin
December 19th, 2009
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”