Hey Churches: Make Sure You Have Christmas Songs For All Year Round.

Now that we’re only a few days away from packing away the tinsel and the tree, (and from signing up to the gym), can I urge us all not to pack away one thing – deep biblically-informed communal singing?

On other words, don’t pack away theologically rich songs with the Christmas baubles.

Here’s the thing about so many of our Christmas carols – and it’s something you realise as you age – they are full of rich biblical theology that is steeped in God’s covenant promises to Israel being fulfilled in Jesus and then sent out to the nations.

Think about just some of them: O Come O Come Emmanuel, Joy To the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. We often sing far more than we know!

Now that’s not to say we should sing Christmas carols all year round, though perhaps we should. Kids would love it. And would long for Christmas as a result. Which all seems kinda biblical doesn’t it? Imagine longing for Jesus’ appearance? We’re scarcely thinking about his second appearing these days, so busy are we getting on with life.

So many of our carols – and indeed our older hymns – had a deep, almost unconscious imprint on them that tells the story of the coming of the Messiah to fulfil the hopes and fears of all of the years.

Don’t get me wrong – I love many modern songs as well. But it’s very easy after Christmas for churches to return to a more self-focussed, ahistorical song pattern in their churches.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I think there’s been a great uptick in solid songwriting across the theological spectrum, from Reformed to Pentecostal. There’s a growing desire for a more theologically robust oeuvre. For a while there I was getting frustrated at the number of worship songs that could have been sung by a Buddhist without blushing. They were ahistorical, didn’t land us on the ground, and failed to highlight the Trinitarian work of God in our salvation and sanctification.

But let’s keep the focus going. Last year at a large Pentecostal church in Queensland, the worship director explained how, in his own global tradition, he was dismayed at how few songs were God-ward focussed, and how they were disconnected from the gospel story.  He had set about changing that for his network in Australia.

It was instructive as I stood there singing in that church how “Nicene” the worship songs were. Most encouraging.

So let’s keep leaning into that over the next 48 weeks until we swing around to Advent again. Remember, Advent is a reminder of the return of Jesus, and the ache and longing in the “in-between days”. What do we need in those “in-between days”? We need encouragement, challenge, comfort, instruction on God’s wonderful salvation plan.

What about adoration and worship, you ask? Well, here’s a thought: the deeper we dive into the wonders of the historical gospel, planned by God in eternity, and fulfilled in the coming of Jesus and the globalising gift of the Holy Spirit, the deeper our adoration and worship.

And who knows? Perhaps we can start singing carols in the middle of the year. We certainly could in Australia, where we often often hold a “Christmas in July” – particularly in Perth – in order to experience something of a “bleak midwinter” Christmas meal (it was 41C in Perth yesterday apparently).

But whatever you do, pore over your Christmas carols before you pack them away, and ask yourselves “How can I allow their biblical depth, theological astuteness, and gospel longing to inform our church worship songs for the rest of the year?”

With all that said  – and many of you may have seen this coming –  my favourite Christmas song for all year round, is called exactly that, “Christmas Song For All Year Round” by the legend that is Randy Stonehill. Written back in the 70s, it still slaps. Stonehill knew his Bible:

Have a listen. And let it lead you to worship: