My Favorite Christmas Songs

As I’ve gotten older, I find I’m increasingly annoyed by the secularization of Christmas. One thing in particular I’ve come to have little tolerance for is secular “Christmas” songs. I first recall feeling annoyed when my daughter was 2 and we bought her a Disney “sing-along” video. One line from the song, Here Comes Santa Claus really bugged me:

Peace on earth will come to all if we just follow the light.
Let’s give thanks to the Lord above because Santa Claus comes tonight!

Huh? Give thanks to God for Santa? Something just struck me as odd about that.

Anyway, I’ve come to really appreciate the good, old fashioned, Christmas carols. Most people know these songs but sometimes we don’t know all the words. Some of these songs are mini-sermons. I thought it would be nice to look at a few verses from the favorites. How about this stanza from Hark! The Herald Angels Sing:

Hail! the heav'n-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 his glory by,

Born that man no more may die:

Born to raise the sone of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Wow! That’ll preach!! Can you see how that’s a little more inspiring and reverent than saying, “Let’s give thanks for Santa”? And how about this classic?

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

(Refrain)

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

True God of true God,

Light from Light Eternal,

Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;

Son of the Father, begotten, not created;

.

Repeat refrain

.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,

born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

Repeat refrain

Yes!! Come let us adore Him indeed!!

Perhaps my favorite Christmas hymn is O Come, O Come Emmanuel. From that song we have the following:

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

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.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Now that will put you into the Christmas spirit!

I’m sure I’ll hear Jingle Bells and Rudolph a few times this year. But it’s the classics that really remind me why we celebrate Christmas.