Why You Should/Must Sing Christmas Carols

Aaron Jones December 25, 2015 No Comments

I’ll make this short and sweet, as we only have a few more hours to sing a carol before Christmas 2015 has past us by. Especially to my Christian friends: Sing Christmas carols (the old ones) because they may be the only good Christian songs you’ll sing this year.

And they are good in so many ways. They vary wildly in tone; joyful even to the point of embarrassingly ecstatic to hair raising somberness. Most of all, they contain meaty chunks of theology that our churches mostly can’t handle today. Note, you’ll need to search for the original lyrics—especially the ones Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley usually don’t sing…

Take a look at Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Seems innocuous enough, right? Check this out:

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful all ye nations rise, 
Join the triumph of the skies,
With angelic host proclaim: 
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!” 
Hark! the herald angels sing, 
“Glory to the new– born— King!”
 
Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time, 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 Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new– born— King!”
 
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His 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 new– born— King!”
 
Come, Desire of Nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man: 
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new– born— King!”

– See more at: http://clearnotesongbook.com/song/hark-herald-angels-sing#sthash.ZRzDHCVU.dpuf

If your church didn’t sing good carols this year, join the #GoodTheologyMatters protest movement. Yes we can!

EDIT: If our peppy version was a bit silly for you, here’s something a bit more tame:

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