The secular Christmas includes family, festivities and food. It rejects the core point of the whole thing: The Incarnation.
One way that they are able to stifle the great truths of Christmas is by keeping Christmas Carols out of your way. Christmas Carols, like any other good Christian music, teach doctrine. Often that is missing in the first verse that everyone has memorized. I am thinking of sharing some of the “second verses” of Christmas.
Today I was singing along with my personal collection of Christmas music and I found myself singing the second verse of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. It goes like this.
Christ, by highest heav’n adored;Notice the theological words used in a common hymn. We have the Godhead mentioned. Jesus is called “incarnate” and “Deity”. And of course we are reminded that He is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Adding to the irritation of the church attender and Christian hater are the Lordship of Christ and the virgin birth.
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Long desired, behold Him come.
Offspring of the Virgin's womb..
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’ incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell.
Jesus, our Immanuel!
Keep singing those songs. Take some time to look at the “second verses” even if they are the third or fourth.
Merry Christmas.
homo unius libri
I don't believe in the holiday, but I believe in the cause, so sing on!
ReplyDeleteYou have good company. The Puritans felt like Christmas had become a time of pagan debauchery and decadence. Like so many in our day they said a big "bah humbug!" I wonder if a lot of what we call Christmas carols were not just theological expressions of the Incarnation.
DeleteGrace and peace.