I was recently charged with writing a talk for our big winter junior high weekend at the Timbers called Winterfest. Our team decided to make the theme for the weekend "Dreaming of THE White Christmas" putting a spin on the traditional Christmas song and tying it back to scripture (Isaiah 1:18).
I love Christmas time, and I love the songs we get to sing (starting no earlier than the day after Thanksgiving though). The song I chose to do my talk over isn't necessarily my absolute favorite one, but it is one that packs a powerful message and so often gets overlooked.
Now, if you want to get the FULL experience, take a moment and prepare your heart by closing your eyes and really listening to the lyrics as this video plays. Really, close your eyes.
Wasn't that great? ...
Ok let's be honest. You probably really couldn't even pay attention to the lyrics because of how terrible the singing was. I set the campers up perfectly for this one. It was a room full of silent middle schoolers, sitting indian style on the floor with their eyes closed. Then, as soon as Alvin and the Chipmunks started singing...they all started laughing, which is exactly what I wanted them to do in order to prove my point!
You see, I have realized that today in our culture the way things are presented or proclaimed affect the way they are perceived. The chipmunk's singing was such a distraction that I didn't even think about the lyrics. I could have easily listened to that entire song and missed the whole message. With this realization came the question, "How often do I do that today?" So, now I ask you that same question.
The funny thing though is that most of the time it is for the opposite reasons. We get so caught up in a good beat or we just like the way a song makes us feel, so we start singing along...But we have no idea what we are even singing! For example:
Now, if you want to get the FULL experience, take a moment and prepare your heart by closing your eyes and really listening to the lyrics as this video plays. Really, close your eyes.
Wasn't that great? ...
Ok let's be honest. You probably really couldn't even pay attention to the lyrics because of how terrible the singing was. I set the campers up perfectly for this one. It was a room full of silent middle schoolers, sitting indian style on the floor with their eyes closed. Then, as soon as Alvin and the Chipmunks started singing...they all started laughing, which is exactly what I wanted them to do in order to prove my point!
You see, I have realized that today in our culture the way things are presented or proclaimed affect the way they are perceived. The chipmunk's singing was such a distraction that I didn't even think about the lyrics. I could have easily listened to that entire song and missed the whole message. With this realization came the question, "How often do I do that today?" So, now I ask you that same question.
The funny thing though is that most of the time it is for the opposite reasons. We get so caught up in a good beat or we just like the way a song makes us feel, so we start singing along...But we have no idea what we are even singing! For example:
"Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah Roma, roma, ma Gaga, ooh la la"WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Lady Gaga makes millions of dollars singing nonsense like this...and we sing right along with it (I will admit I am definitely guilty of this one
"And the bullets catch in her teeth. Life goes on, it gets so heavy.
The wheel breaks the butterfly"
Any guesses where that one is from? COLDPLAY...One of my absolute favorite bands. I have sung "Paradise" so many times and have never even noticed that I was singing about teeth catching bullets and wheels breaking butterflies!
The list could go on (J. Biebs topping the charts with a song whose lyrics predominantly just include the word "swag" or rappers talking so fast that you have NO clue what they are saying...and it's probably best that you don't)
So, you get the picture right? These are the things that are popular in our culture these days. These are the things that are making millions of dollars on the billboards: people proclaiming phrases you can't even understand, people talking about bullet teeth, and songs that just say burr and swag over and over again. These are the things that our generation is proclaiming. People have gotten so good at the presentation (the good beats, flashy lights, etc.) that we don't even pay attention anymore to what they are proclaiming. And you know what? The same thing can happen with Christmas. We get so caught up in the flashy Christmas lights, the presents, the parites, etc. that we forget the TRUE meaning why we celebrate. So many of the Christmas songs that we sing so non chalantly are proclaiming a much bolder message than we give credit for...THE GOSPEL!
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. -Col. 1:17-20
"christ is born in bethlehem."- Bethlem would've been the last place we would've chosen for a king to enter the world!
28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. -1 Corinthians 1:28-29
pleased, as man with men to dwell- This is the miracle of Christmas!
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! -Phillipians 2:5-8
So, you get the picture right? These are the things that are popular in our culture these days. These are the things that are making millions of dollars on the billboards: people proclaiming phrases you can't even understand, people talking about bullet teeth, and songs that just say burr and swag over and over again. These are the things that our generation is proclaiming. People have gotten so good at the presentation (the good beats, flashy lights, etc.) that we don't even pay attention anymore to what they are proclaiming. And you know what? The same thing can happen with Christmas. We get so caught up in the flashy Christmas lights, the presents, the parites, etc. that we forget the TRUE meaning why we celebrate. So many of the Christmas songs that we sing so non chalantly are proclaiming a much bolder message than we give credit for...THE GOSPEL!
I was convicted and convinced of this when I took the time to REALLY look at the lyrics of my song of choice: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
hark! the herald angels sing
"glory to the newborn king!"
peace on earth, and mercy mild
god and sinners reconciled
joyful all ye nations rise
join the triumph of the skies
with angelic host proclaim
"christ is born in bethlehem."
hark! the herald angels sing"
glory to the newborn king!
"christ, by highest heav'n adored
christ the everlasting lord
late in time behold him come
offspring of the favored one
veiled in flesh, the godhead see
hail th' incarnate deity
pleased, as man with men to dwell
late in time behold him come
offspring of the favored one
veiled in flesh, the godhead see
hail th' incarnate deity
pleased, as man with men to dwell
jesus, our immanuel!
hark! the herald angels sing
"glory to the newborn king"
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. -Col. 1:17-20
"christ is born in bethlehem."- Bethlem would've been the last place we would've chosen for a king to enter the world!
28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. -1 Corinthians 1:28-29
pleased, as man with men to dwell- This is the miracle of Christmas!
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! -Phillipians 2:5-8
jesus, our immanuel! - This means GOD WITH US!
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.[d] -Isaiah 7:14
Isn't that incredible? It's funny how much richer the content becomes when you take the time to know it. Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet, gave graduating college students this advice:
"Become a student of what you love because what you love flows out of the way God made you."Psalm 19 talks about how the heavens and creation just naturally proclaim God's glory. Even though we are definitely God's creation, the difference is The Fall. After the fall of man, sin entered the world and from that point on we were no longer to live in bliss. Now, we have to ask God every day for His grace and mercy so that we can be used to proclaim His glory because without Him, we proclaim nothing but fleeting and evil things.
The reality is that we are always proclaiming something/sending
some kind of message, but do we always know what we are proclaiming? Let's become students of what we are proclaiming. If we are proclaiming to be Christians do we REALLY know what that means or are will we just spend our lives singing empty words and throwing around empty phrases? Not only should we be aware of what we are proclaiming, but also HOW we are proclaiming it. Are we like Alvin and the Chipmunks and no one even hears the things that we are proclaiming because they are so nagging and distracting? My hope is that our hearts can have the same cry as that of David's in Psalm 19:14,
"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Hopefully this changes the way you worship. That we would no longer just sing
all these songs and get caught up in powerful music, but that we would truly focus on the
words so that we don't miss the real message. So, join me this Christmas season, and from now on, in proclaiming the truth of our Savior's birth!
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