…I still love Christmas “hymns.”
I love Christmas “songs,” too, like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Home for the Holidays, or Merry Christmas Darling, but the hymns are where it’s at. I actually think it’s a great shortcoming in the modern church, that many, one the one hand, try to insist that Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, while on the other hand, never insist that we sing songs like Hark! the Herald Angels Sing or Joy to the World in mid-September, early March, or late-June. When am I supposed to reflect, melodically, on the birth of my Savior? When can the assembly praise God for the coming of the King? We sing songs reflecting on His death and celebrating His resurrection all year long, and not just in the Springtime when everyone else is specifically reflecting on it (during the Easter holiday); why isn’t there such an allowance for songs reflecting on His birth? I think there ought to be.
In fact, I think we need to be singing those songs in December, in February, in May, in October, and in every other month. My thankfulness for the birth of Christ never ceases. It is not seasonal, so neither should my praise for it be seasonal. Yes, granted, there are many more who are taking this time of the year to talk about, preach about, and sing about the birth of Christ. You won’t find me discouraging them. I want more of that, not less.
I suppose my love for so-called “Christmas” hymns, is the same as my love for all the other “older” hymns we sing. There are plenty of more modern hymns that I enjoy, but rarely do I find a modern song of praise that compares, lyrically, to the poetry that was written a hundred years (or more) ago. I’ve yet to hear a modern hymn with a lyric that compares to the line “stay, let me weep while you whisper, love paid the ransom for me…”
So-called Christmas hymns contain some of the most exuberant and praise-filled lyrics celebrating the coming of the Lord. For example…
Ding dong merrily on high! In heaven the bells are ringing! Ding dong! Verily the sky, is riven with angel singing! Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis!
or how about (from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)…
Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood, Each other now embrace…
and also (from Angels we have Heard on High)…
Come to Bethlehem and see, Him whose birth the angels sing! Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord the newborn King!
Not to mention Good King Wenceslaus, which is just a marvelously written poem that teaches a wonderful Christian lesson about caring for the poor.
And there’s Adeste Fidelus (O Come all ye Faithful), that’s maybe the most rousing call to praise any poet has penned in 500 years.
Again, I know the Lord was born either in mid-March or mid-September, so my point is NOT “we should just pretend He was born on December 25, despite all the Biblical evidence to the contrary.” I don’t pretend that, though I do find myself joining my fellows in thinking more about it than other times in the year. My point is also NOT “let’s create a new religious day of special significance and compel our brethren to participate.” Paul makes it clear that people are free to celebrate or not various holidays as created by men (Romans 14:5-6). My point is NOT “we should sing Christmas hymns all December long.” No. My point is: “We should sing hymns that celebrate the birth of Jesus all YEAR long.” That’s it. That’s my point. Hymns that rejoice over the birth of Jesus are just as meaningful, and contain lyrics just as beautiful, as the best hymns we sing that rejoice over Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
~Matthew