“O Come All ye Faithful,…O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”

These are such wonderful familiar words. This is such a wonderful familiar hymn. Christmas is a time that brings us in traditional ways into the wonder of the birth of Emmanuel “God-with-us”. In the hustle and bustle, we sing this song to bring us to that holy space.

There are other songs that sing of this wonderful time. Even some about “Winter Wonderland”, or “Santa Claus is coming to town”, or “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” and even “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus”. They don’t speak of Jesus very much but they are traditional ways to remember this Christmas time.  Into the 21^st century, there are more and more Christmas songs that sing of Jesus born in Bethlehem and those who noticed it:

Oh beautiful star of Bethlehem

Shinning far through shadows dimmed

Giving the life for those who long have gone on

Guiding the wise men on their way

Unto the place where Jesus lay

Oh beautiful star of Bethlehem shine on

We hope that you will have the chance to sing some Christmas music this Christmas, wherever you are. Some will be visiting family in faraway places, some will be having a great Christmas dinner (maybe two for some), and some will be attending Christmas Eve services at another church. Wherever you are, know that you are loved, and that the birth of Jesus gives new hope, a new way. For you, for those new to Canada this year, for me.

If you are around, we invite you to come and sing “O Come all Ye Faithful” and to hear “Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” on Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. at Carleton Memorial.

Merry Christmas,

Boyd