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Christmas Concert 2016

Friday, December 23, 2016

Christmas Concert 2016

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7)    

      There doesn't seem to be a theme for my Christmas concert this year, beyond  the fact that the songs have gotten my attention. Last year's songs are all here because I still like them, but some have additional versions.

I can't say that it's been my favorite Christmas carol, but I've loved it for years. It expresses my own sense about Christmas and the world. I chose this performance because it includes more verses from Henry Longfellow's original poem than most of those we hear.
There doesn't seem to be anything that says "Christmas" about this orchestral piece except its title. It's beautiful, but I had to listen to it several times to realize that Michael W. Smith was putting the circus that is the world's view of Christmas in juxtaposition with the majesty that is the real Biblical Christmas.
        While the melody of this song is beautiful, the original words offensively make a complete muddle of Scripture. The words in this version have been changed so that it is a Christmas song.
Hallelujah  (Lindsey Sterling instrumental)
         What makes this version a Christmas song is what Lindsey Sterling does with it.
      So many people miss Christ in Christmas. It is tempting to think that we have to fight to "keep Christ in Christmas." Christ may be hidden in Christmas, but He emerges in the strangest places (like vocal competitions and New York City subways) in the strangest ways. No matter how dark it may seem around us, God is not dead, nor doth He sleep... so keep your eyes open because it's clear that Jesus still shows up in places that clearly have no room for Him. Merry Christmas, and may He bless you with His presence in the coming year.

In 1914, soldiers on the front lines observed a Christmas truce. Christmas Truce (History.com)
In 2014, for the 100th anniversary of that truce, Sainsbury produced this dramatized version as an ad. Sainsbury's Christmas Truce ad

 













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