Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Christmas Music

There are a lot of things about this time of the year that I love, and one of the things I love MOST is Christmas music. No, I don't really like hearing it the day after Halloween.......but from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I can't get enough of it.
When we were living in Africa, it was really hard being away from family during the Holidays, and the Christmas songs made that absence of loved ones much easier to handle. We knew our family members across the waves were listening to the same songs! The first place I heard Christmas songs this year was in a shopping center in Nairobi. That's something I will never forget, and it sped up my longing to get home for the Holidays.

But I do have a question, and the people who could probably answer this question don't waste their time reading this blog. If God views music that worships Him or His son with instruments as sinful, why is it ok for us to listen to and sing songs accompanied by musical instruments that are about the birth of Christ? Aren't many of the songs we sing this time of year "worship" songs? I sure think so. What kind of hoops do you have to jump thru to explain that? I may be missing something, and please point it out to me if I am.

So, what is your favorite Christmas song? I'll tell you mine later.
Meantime, play those Christmas CD's!!!!!!

16 Comments:

At 7:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, my favorite Christmas song is "Christmas is a Time to Say I Love You" by Billy Squier but I also like "O Holy Night".

I noticed that our church is having a Holiday party this weekend. It's CHRISTMAS, people!

 
At 2:39 PM, Blogger Lara said...

I like the new one called something like, My Grownup Christmas List.

Also, Trisha Yearwood sings a lovely song called, It Wasn't His Child, that will jerk the heart right out of your chest.

Of course, Santa Claus is Coming to Town is a lovely aid when children are needing a good reminder to act nice around the holidays. (Mama sings loud on "he knows if you've been BAD OR GOOD...) I know. I'm so mean. ;)

 
At 6:26 PM, Blogger mmlace said...

Wow...I don't have an answer for that question about musical instruments! They just don't bother me...somehow I doubt God has a problem with them.

I LOVE Christmas music! My favorites are "O Holy Night" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful"

Sunday at my church we're singing Christmas songs! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

 
At 10:12 PM, Blogger Lisa said...

Well, the easy answer is that -- just maybe -- there's nothing wrong with instrumental music and we've kicked our heels up over something that really isn't a big deal. Hmmmm . . . .

My favorite Christmas song these days is one Michael W Smith wrote a few years ago, "All is Well." My favorite cd this year is Josh Groban's "Noel." Amazing.

I love Christmas music and, yes, primarily because it's about Jesus. Even the songs that don't say, "Hey people! God came to earth!" still encourage us to focus on love for others and kindness. That can only be good.

 
At 4:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Jews used instruments in temple worship during the offering of animal sacrifices. Synagogue worship was a cappella. The early church patterned its worship after the synagogue and for hundreds of years no instruments were used in worship. The Greek Orthodox church does not use instruments...and will, in fact, cleanse their church buildings if anyone even brings an instrument in.

Remember, there are things we do outside the assembly that would be inappropriate or even wrong to do in the assembly, so if you want to sing a "worship song" with instruments outside the assembly, that's a different situation from bringing the instrument into the worship assembly.

We KNOW a cappella singing is right. There is no disagreement about that.

Instead of asking what is wrong with using the instrument, why not ask what is right with using it?

 
At 5:16 PM, Blogger David U said...

Anon (we know each other so well, I thought I could use your nickname), By pointing out that most everybody is ok with singing with and listening to instrumental worship songs having to do with the birth of the Savior, I didn't think I needed to ask "what's right with using it".

I'm glad you admit it's about the four walls of our assemblies. That is a terribly weak argument. Hence, THOUSANDS (especially our young people) leaving for Community churches.

About history.....do you really want it to be the standard for what we are about? If so, be consistent with that.

And lastly, I just about gag when I read the disingenous argument sighting other faiths. Why is it disingenous? Because most of the people that I have run across that use that argument wouldn't even be willing to fellowship believers who belong to a Greek Orthodox church! Some might even call it hypocritical. Would you be willing to call one of those believers "a member of the church"? :)

Thanks for stopping by. I wish I knew what was driving the fear you have of using your name.

Love drives out fear.

DU

 
At 8:24 AM, Blogger drjimwhite said...

Anonymous,
The passages we hang our hats on concerning instrumental music (or lack thereof) in the assembly are Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. Where in those two passages does the writer (Paul in this case) mention that singing is in the assembly? The Ephesians passage begins with, "Be very careful how you live..." then goes into a discussion about marriage. The passage in Colossians never mentions the assembly (once again discussing the king of lives we should live) either. Bible 101 teaches us to look at the context. Please, friend, consider context in the passages where you stake your claim. And if you use the argument you are using, we can never use instruments and God's name at anytime.

By the way, David, I like "Grownup Christmas List" (like Lara), I'll be Home for Christmas," and "Carol of the Bells." Really I like them all. Mannheim Steamroller's version of "Silent Night" is phenomenal.

 
At 9:13 AM, Blogger drjimwhite said...

"kind of lives" Sorry for the typo

 
At 7:08 PM, Blogger Keith Brenton said...

What is 'right' with using musical instruments in praise to God?

Psalm 150.

(And a couple dozen others.)

Never rescinded everywhere in the New Testament. Never abolished. Never repealed. Never condemned. Never amended. Never improved upon. Never limited.

I know that line "for hundreds of years no instruments were used in worship" has been repeated so often that it has the sound of fact, but I have yet to see it persuasively documented. So is the line "But we KNOW a cappella singing is right." In light of those Psalms ... do we?

And even if a cappella singing could be proven to be the only practice of the early church, does that somehow make it right? A lot of things happened at Corinth and Ephesus and in Galatian churches that were not God's will at all!

Isn't it more likely that God expresses in scripture no preference of one style over the other in worship because He has none? That what matters is whether the heart, head, soul and strength are involved when we worship?

__________________________

What's my favorite Christmas song? "The Little Drummer Boy." Not because of the drum, but because the little fellow in it - at apparently a very young age - seems to understand that serving is giving and giving is serving. And he wants to do both for Jesus.

 
At 11:39 PM, Blogger mmlace said...

OH YEAH! Little Drummer Boy...also one of my favorites! How could I forget! I love the Jars of Clay version!

 
At 9:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lisa said: My favorite Christmas song these days is one Michael W Smith wrote a few years ago, "All is Well."

We have a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (actually 2) at the Downtown church in Searcy. This year, we are building the entire service around that song. We'll have a choir of adults and children who will sing it.

 
At 9:13 PM, Blogger Royce Ogle said...

David,
Its all about what happens in the mystical "building", which is much more difficlult to support using scripture than what we do in it.

Its "Silent Night" for me. My musical tastes seem to be confined to those with lyrics written at least over 100 or more years ago. Yea, I'm old as dirt!

His peace,
Royce

 
At 12:36 PM, Blogger Franklin Wood said...

my favorite is "Welcome To Our World" by Chris Rice. It gets me every time. Beautiful song. Instruments included.

 
At 8:42 AM, Blogger annie said...

I have so many favorites....Love, love Christmas music.

Our new worship director is planning a series of services for next year much like what Downtown is doing this year on Christmas Eve. Our congregation will begin having music/worship enhancement practices on Sunday afternoons, beginning in January. I'm so prayerful about this, & excited too!

 
At 8:23 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Dad and Jim White:

Thank you for your insights. They were very helpful to me.

Buddy

 
At 8:24 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just to clarify, I am not THE mysterious "Anonymous".

Buddy

 

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