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One of my friends has hosted a Facebook contest that encourages people to pick their favorite Christmas song. In an NCAA Tournament-style bracket, the contest pitted 64 songs against one another in a round-by-round process, with one song to win out in the end.
The hand-picked music contest includes songs like “Silver Bells,” “O Holy Night” and even “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”; but it leaves out songs like “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Christmas Shoes.”
There’s one song, in particular, that I’m rooting for to win it all. It’s a song that I think is the best Christmas song ever: lyrically, musically and theologically.
In fact, the song is so strong that I would put it up against any other Christmas song, and even any song period. It’s so packed full of truth that if the entire world happened to temporarily misplace the Christmas story as communicated in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, the central truths about Christmas could be recovered and understood completely in this one song.
I’m referring to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” composed by Charles Wesley. Without further ado, click this link to hear a rendition of the song, or simply let the lyrics below pour over you.
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 th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord; Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity, Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’nly 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 newborn 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. Now display Thy saving power, Ruined nature now restore; Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place: Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love. 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 newborn King!”
Whether through this glorious song or another, may the peace and joy of Christ be with you this Christmas now and always.
You may have driven by a church that had the words “apostolic” or “oneness” in the name of it. Inside they sing songs about Jesus and read from the same Bible you might read. From a distance, they seem like just another charismatic Christian church, but there are a few key differences that may put them outside of the boundaries of Christianity.
The major issue within the oneness movement is an old heresy that resurfaces every now and then. Its theological name is modalism, but it is most commonly known as oneness. This simply means that they do not believe in the Trinity. Believers in this idea say that God appeared in different modes at different times. It’s as though God the Father has a mask that He puts on. Sometimes He is the Son, and sometimes He is the Father, but they never coexist.
Another one of their beliefs is that you must be baptized in the name of Jesus only, and a true conversion will be evident by the speaking of tongues. This means that if you have never spoken in tongues then the Holy Spirit doesn’t really live within you. The Oneness Apostolic group was kicked out of the Assembly of God church for teaching things that are contrary to Scripture.
Like many false teachers, they put forth the claim that the Trinity was some pagan invention that was forced into the church. Not only is this easy to disprove but we see the Trinity in the Old Testament, and Jews historically believed in one God who existed in several persons. They often called this the two powers of heaven with a growing belief that there was a third that was some kind of Spirit. It wasn’t until the rise of Christianity that Jewish leaders began to forbid talking about the two powers in heaven belief because it sounded too much like Christianity.
This was documented by the late scholar Alan Segal in his book “Two Powers in Heaven.” The two powers idea was a way to understand certain passages like Genesis 19:24 where God seems to appear in two separate ways that interact with each other. We even have the Hellenistic Jew Philo of Alexandria writing before the birth of Jesus in a way that sounds very Trinitarian. He wrote, “the one living and true God there were two supreme and primary powers–goodness and authority; and that by his goodness he had created every thing, and by his authority he governed all that he had created; and that the third thing which was between the two, and had the effect of bringing them together was LOGOS, for that it was owing to LOGOS that God was both a ruler and good” (cheribum 27-28).
There are also some verses that make the oneness belief really awkward. For example, how can Jesus pray to the Father if Jesus and the Father cannot coexist at the same time? Despite all the problems that come with this belief, it continues to grow all over the world. I encourage you to make yourself aware of some of their beliefs so that you can have healthy conversations with those around you.
If you would like to read more on this subject I recommend the book “Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity” by Gregory Boyd.
TIS THE SEASON FOR ONLINE SHOPPING—Fa la la la la, la la la la. I don’t know about you all, but I don’t participate in Black Friday. However, one of my favorite days of the year is, you guessed it, Cyber Monday.
In years past, you could say that I did 50 percent of my Christmas shopping online, and the other 50 percent I would find on miscellaneous retail websites. That isn’t the case this year.
This year I did 98 percent of my shopping exclusively online. My husband and I bought for 14 total people, some being a “couple gift,” and two things TOTAL, out of all of those, were purchased in-store, only after I had done online research and discovered that, indeed, the in-store price was comparable, and convenient.
Did you catch the last word of that last sentence? CONVENIENT. That is why I do what I do — especially now that I have a five-month-old who is super susceptible to all the germs. Online shopping is the most convenient way for me to buy things for the people I love.
Let me tell you more reasons why I am the way I am:
Rather than loading up my son’s diaper bag with extra diapers, extra outfits, all the food he might need, and extra layers (because it’s winter), instead, he can do whatever he pleases from the comfort of our home. No need to disturb naptime and be that poor soul in the store who has a screaming baby (I feel for those moms), when I can simply open up my laptop and have the world at my fingertips.
I mentioned all it takes to get a baby out of the house in the dead of winter. What I didn’t mention is the meandering that I do once inside the store, all while said baby, whom I’ve packed most of his earthly belongings, has a very real internal timer of the amount of time he will be happy while in his car seat inside the cart. My child is extremely happy and doesn’t really have a problem with his car seat. However, even he has his limits, and heaven forbid I be in the store and not have what I wanted to buy picked out when said limit is reached. Let’s just say I have spent time in a store with my nearly 15-pound son in one arm while pushing the shopping cart with the other hand, and I was actively sweating by the time I finished.
No lines. In fact, that may be my favorite thing about online shopping. There is virtually no waiting! If something is in stock online, it will say in-stock. I don’t have to search several aisles to try to find said item. And what do they tell you when you are in a store and you need to purchase an item that isn’t in-stock in the store? “You can purchase this online, and we’ll ship it to you.” HELLO. Proof that you should have stayed home in your pajamas and done your shopping that way.
Another thing I enjoy about online shopping is the lack of human interaction. Call me antisocial, BUT, do you have a story about a crazy interaction with another customer, an employee at the store, or any other human? I can’t begin to recall the maddness I’ve experienced while Christmas shopping in stores. People are usually at their worst in stores this time of year. Save yourself the stress and potential repenting to God later, and just shop online without having to confront other people.
You don’t have to drive all over kingdom come. If you’re anything like me, rarely ever do you find what you need for everyone on your list in one place. Shopping online saves gas money and keeps your blood pressure low because you don’t have to deal with holiday traffic jams.
I could go on for days about why I prefer online shopping rather than in store. The pros and cons list is almost 200 to 1. There are exceptions however, like: Archaic websites that don’t offer free shipping (Thank you Amazon Prime); mom and pop or local stores that offer a pleasing experience, which is half of the reason you shop local anyway; some unique items to your city or town may not be online; and then the best reason to ever shop in a store is sometimes you can go to a store and the store tells you what you need, i.e. any shopping trip to Target or Hobby Lobby. But those are special occasions, and generally best enjoyed sans husband or baby.
I’m not going to try to put a biblical spin on this subject, because the truth of the matter is that it’s 100 percent consumerist based. I will, however, encourage you while you are buying Christmas gifts (hopefully from the comfort of your couch), to think about those who don’t have the luxury to buy their loved ones gifts this Christmas.
Think about someone who you could buy a gift for that may not have anyone to share the holiday with, or a child whose parents can’t afford gifts this year, or just think about spending time with someone who might enjoy your presence rather an a present. If you must buy gifts for anyone this Christmas, consider these people first.
I’m sitting in the midst of a faux snowmagedon. All week it was said there would be a major snowstorm hitting this weekend. Alas, false alarm.
So I’ll keep doing what I normally do on a Friday – offer thoughts on six timely topics in my weekly edition of Doyle’s Half Dozen. Thank you for reading!
Christmas traditions revisited
I started last week revisiting a list of Christmas versions of DHD that I did in 2016. This week, I feature my list of six Christmas traditions. You can read it here.
I still get a kick out of Martin Luther decorating his Christmas tree with candles.
A new Christmas song
Are you familiar with Matt Mahar? He’s a Christian artist who sings many popular songs. You should get to know him if you are not.
He has a Christmas album that I discovered this morning, and I love this song he sings. Check it out:
Reflections of President Bush 41
It was a momentous week for the Bush family, as President George H.W. Bush passed away last week, and the country experienced a week of memorials and observances.
I love the photo of his service dog, Sully, laying by the President’s casket. I admire what Sen. Bob Dole did, getting out of his wheelchair to stand and salute the President’s casket at the Capitol Rotunda. And I appreciate hearing Michael W. Smith singing “Friends” during the President’s funeral. I still remember every word to that song.
President Bush was a gentleman, and he demonstrated respect to everyone. Not everyone will agree with his politics, or some may say he could have been stronger on some issues. But he lived an amazing life, and he served his country well.
Butterfield’s thoughts on witnessing to LGBTQ friends
People may not agree with her approach, but I know she believes in what she shares on witnessing to LBGTQ friends because it is how she became a Christian. A pastor invited her to his home to have meals with his family, and it was through this hospitality that Rosaria decided to make a profession of faith in Christ.
You will not regret getting to know Rosaria Butterfield.
The ridiculousness of AOC
If you are not familiar with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, consider it a good thing. She is an incoming U.S. congresswoman from New York, and she has some unorthodox thoughts about U.S. politics. Most of the time, when she speaks publicly, what she says is incorrect and considered nonsense. I would rather she not get as much attention as she does.
“The more right-wing partisans attack her, the more left-wing partisans rally to her. The more left-wingers rally to her, the more justified the Right feels in paying attention to her.”
Avoid, Deny, Defend
I attended an active shooter response workshop this week with my wife who is a reserve deputy for Oklahoma County. And I made it on a local news story. You can see here. I was amazed how many people put their hands on their faces – including me!
After attending the workshop, I recommend it to everyone to attend one. There are ones catered to civilians in community meetings such as churches, schools, businesses. If there is one thing we have learned, no one is exempted from a potential active shooter crisis.
Also, I learned a great approach to such an incident – avoid, deny, defend. You can read more about it here.
Glasses versus contacts. The Sooners or the Cowboys. Coke versus Pepsi. Some debates bring out stronger feelings than you might think.
I was reminded of one of those ongoing debates recently. Which is better? Real Christmas trees or artificial ones?
Growing up, our family had artificial trees. They are overall more inexpensive (especially when the cost is divided over several years). They are less mess, and in today’s market, you can get almost any style you want, lights and all.
These days, my family uses real Christmas trees. They look and smell great and are the real deal. You even get to experience of the thrill (but also the cost) of tree shopping each year. Some people I know even cut their own tree down.
Whether you prefer real or artificial trees, there is one thing that we all need to remember that is definitely real at Christmas. It’s the Christmas story itself, as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
I recently heard a preacher point out that the biblical narratives don’t begin with “Once upon a time…”
Instead, it begins with “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was…” (Luke 1:5), which proves the writer is rooting the narrative in history. In Christmas, as with all of Christianity, we have a faith that’s rooted in history and grounded in reality.
And that kind of authentic quality is the best of both worlds and the best kind of gift to remember at Christmas.
The majestic words of Psalm 98:4-9 ring with exulting joy:
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”
While we may have read these verses before, few would identify them as the source of one of the Christmas season’s most recognizable hymns. After all, where is the stable? Where is the star? Where are the angels and the sleigh bells jing-jing-jingling all the way?
Interestingly, one of the church’s most prominent Yuletide tunes is not even a song about Christmas.
In 1719, Isaac Watts sat down to pen a poetic paraphrase of one of his favorite psalms, Psalm 98. He broke the psalm into two parts and summarized verses 4-9 under the name, “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.”
For Watts, the psalms were a direct link to the New Testament. Reading the words of liberation, musical instrumentation and nature’s vibrant exaltation of its Maker brought to mind the ideas expressed in verses like Romans 8:19-21, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
This liberation of all creation at the arrival of the conquering King led Watts to the closing chapters of Revelation. Revelation 21 celebrates Jesus’ triumphant return as a new heaven and earth replace our decaying cosmos of sin, and the One who has come to judge the earth with righteousness proclaims, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
The Christmas song known today as, “Joy to the World,” was originally an apocalyptic paraphrase of Psalm 98.
Joined by Lowell Mason in 1836 to a melodic portion of Handel’s Messiah, the poem came to be known in its present form as a joyful song of the King’s arrival. Since we commemorate the breaking through of the Light into the darkness at Christmas with Jesus’ first coming, the church has celebrated these two arrivals almost synonymously through the song for centuries.
At Advent, we anticipate the final arrival of Christ the King as the early Jews awaited the first arrival of the Messiah. We long with the thrill of hope for the weary world to rejoice at the revelation of its Savior.
“Joy to the World” is a particularly appropriate song during the season of Advent. We celebrate the coming of the King in the manger; yet we anticipate the arrival of the King on the clouds.
Joy to the World; the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King:
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns;
let men their songs employ;
while fields & floods, rocks, hills & plains
repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground:
He comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness,
and wonders of his love.
