When I was in grade school, the Catholic Church started going through "big" changes. They kicked out some saints, axed "limbo," and decided that Protestants weren’t necessarily going to hell. They overhauled the liturgy, in an effort to make Catholic worship more "user friendly." They turned the altar around so that the priest faced the congregation when he was saying Mass…we all appreciated feeling more a part of the action rather than spectators… And, of course the biggest change—Mass was to be said in English rather than Latin. Songs! We needed hymns! In English. In a hurry. Which is always what they sounded like to me. Like they were scratched together in a hurry. The only one I ever liked was "Holy God We Praise Thy Name."
Later, when husband and I started attending a Pentecostal church, we got a crack at the "old" Protestant hymnal. And I realized that those guys really knew how to write hymns. The melodies were lovely, but the lyrics…they knew how to pack a whole lot of fire and brimstone, transcendent worship, or gung-ho evangelism into every song.
It was during that time that I became familiar with the second or third verses of some of the Christmas carols I had been singing all my life. The writers of those songs packed SO much theological meat into them. They went beyond the sweet little baby in the manger…told the story of redemption, told what Christ’s birth really meant to mankind. And it didn't end with "peace on earth, good will to men," though that is all we seem to grasp of the real meaning of Christmas anymore. While we march all over the world spreading democracy. In this country, I think we really mean "peace in America, good will toward…anybody who looks, acts and worships like me." But I digress.
I just love the poetry and imagery in some of the old Christmas carols. So I thought up a little game for this holiday season. I’ll post the words to a middle verse to a Christmas song. You guess the song. This shouldn’t be too hard. And meanwhile, we’ll all get a chance to become familiar with these beautiful hymns, and contemplate what they really mean.
Today’s verse:
This is an easy one. I think my favorite recorded version is on Amy Grant’s first Christmas album. I’m showing my age, I know…
I'm stumped! ????
ReplyDeleteI remember those changes at the Catholic church VERY well!!
ReplyDeleteDarn! The tune is on the tip of my tongue but won't come out. Maybe once I've fully woken up. The "church" that I had belonged to was an off-shoot of the traditional Church of Christ. They had/have some beautiful music. Because the CoC doesn't believe in instruments in Church they do a lot of four part harmonizing which made the music really come alive. It's one of the few things that I do miss. Hmm...I have my song books around here somewhere. Maybe I should dig them out. :-) ---Robbie
ReplyDeleteEasy, easy, easy -- Hark, The Herald Angels Sing. I love this!
ReplyDeleteI concur with Sistercdr, It's Hark, The Herald Angels Sing. What a fun game...next?
ReplyDeleteYep, Hark the Herald Angels sing. One of my favorites is We Three Kings. How many of you have actually sung the verse about the myrhh. Beautiful and a little scary. Packs the whole story into one song. Thank you Lisa.
ReplyDeleteJackie
So you went through a Pentecostal *phase* too, huh? The church I went to had a band & everything---they loved the music! That's when I got into Amy Grant too---she's still one of my guilty pleasures:)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite carol is "What Child is This?" :)
I just not learned what a hymn was about a year ago. We grew up Jehovah's Witnesses so we ddin't know anything about holidays and stuff like that. But I have heard some that I do like. I am looking to hear some more this christmas.
ReplyDeleteAmy
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
ReplyDeleteGreat game!
I think everyone guessed already. : )
ReplyDeleteAngela
Hi Lisa-
ReplyDeleteI love the new look of your journal. Great picture of you too! I can see that we both have a love for laptops, although some things I must do on my PC (desktop) as my laptop is an iBook (MAC). But I still love it.
As much as I sing in church you would think I could remember hymns better than I do. The Christmas ones I think I am pretty good at though, so we will see how I do..LOL
Enjoy your Sunday,
Gayla
Hark the Herald Angels sing?
ReplyDeleteSo...it's Monday now: where is our next verse?????
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, how I like what you have done with your jnl! Love the new picture of yourself!!!! And I can hear "Holy God" in my head now...thank you. One of my all time Catholic fav's is and always will be (!) "Oh Mary we crown you with blossoms today........"
ReplyDelete