Are you the person who starts listening to Christmas music as soon as Halloween is over? Or maybe you wait until Thanksgiving lunch is over and you’ve started browsing the department store ads? Perhaps you only have a few, select songs you need to hear each year—and that’s enough. [Full disclosure: I’m listening to Christmas music while I write this.]
The Advent and Christmas seasons are imbued with tradition, nostalgia, and sentimentality. And regardless of when you start listening, we all know the words behind many classic Christmas carols. The song catalogue doesn’t change much from year to year, most of us sticking with the tried and true standards. But what if you are overlooking something sitting in plain sight? What if a story, depth, and power is waiting to be discovered right in the midst of the familiar melodies and sing-songy lyrics in your favorite carols?
For the next three Sundays leading up to our Christmas Eve service, we’re going to take a look at a few well-known carols — the stories behind them and the Scripture they are connected to, all while pointing to the events of the first Christmas. Come ready to sing, to see these familiar songs in new light, and to prepare your heart as we celebrate Emmanuel, “God with us.”
This time of year brings a natural opportunity to invite friends, family, and co-workers to join you at church. “Carols” will be a fun and meaningful opportunity for anyone you know to hear about the hope God offers to us through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
