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December 7 – Manger Throne (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 7, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 1 Comment

18 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

Manger Throne is a song performed by the Christian Band Third Day.  The song first appeared on the Christmas album titled City On a Hill: It’s Christmas Time released in 2002.

Commentary & Analysis

I love songs that really capture the condescension of Christ at Christmastime.  In this song, Mac Powell asks, with an appropriate level of reverence, “What kind of King would leave his throne in Heaven to make this earth his home?”  I think that sometimes, at Christmastime, we forget everything that God gave up to put on human skin, to come to earth, to be tempted in all ways like his creation, to be persecuted, to be falsely accused and to die on the cross to reconcile us to him.  This song asks the question, what kind of man would do that?  The answer is clear – no normal man would, but God did!  Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and whether he is sitting in the throne room of God or lying in a dirty manger, he is still king – thus the title of the song “Manger Throne.”  The song ends with a reminder that our heart is also the throne of God.

Questions for further Reflection / Devotion

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December 6 – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 6, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 1 Comment

19 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

The composer of this song is not known.  The song first showed up in print in 1923.  The song is referred to in Charles Dickens’ famous A Christmas Carol written in 1843.

Commentary & Analysis

This song, which celebrates many aspects of the birth of Christ, is deeply theological citing many aspects of Jesus’ birth and life including:

  • “Jesus Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day” [Acts 4:12]
  • “To save us all from Satan’s power” / “To free all those who trust in him from Satan’s power and might.” [Hebrews 2:14]
  • “When we were gone astray” [Romans 2:12]
  • “In Bethlehem, In Jury, the blessed Babe was born and laid within a manger: [Luke 2:16]
  • “The which his mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.” [Luke 1:38]
  • “From God our heavenly father” [Matthew 6:9]
  • “A blessed Angel came. And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same.” [Luke 2:8-10]
  • “How that in Bethlehem was born” [Luke 2:4]
  • “The Son of God by name.” [John 1:49]
  • “This day is born a Savior of a pure Virgin bright” [Matthew 1:23]
  • “The Shepherds…went to Bethlehem straightway.” [Luke 2:15]
  • “They found him in a manger where oxen feed on hay.” [Luke 2:16]
  • “And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace.” [John 15:12]

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December 5 – Do You Hear What I Hear? (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 5, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 1 Comment

20 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

This song was written in October 1962 by Noel Regney.  The music was written by Gloria Shayne Baker.  It was written by the same couple who composed the children’s song “Rain, Rain Go Away.”  The song, which was written in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, was released in November 1962 and was originally recorded by the Harry Simeone Chorale.   Bing Crosby recorded his famous version of the song in 1963.

Commentary & Analysis

This carol has very little biblical basis, but does address something important when it comes to celebrating the birth of Christ.  As the song works its way through the various parties in the song, we see that Jesus comes for everyone.  From the shepherd boy (like the shepherds visited by the angels at the birth of Christ) to the King (like King Herod who was visited by the three wise men), the birth of Christ impacts every life in some way or another.

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December 4 – This Baby (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 4, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 1 Comment

21 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

This Baby is from Steven Curtis Chapman’s Christmas Is All In The Heart album released in 2003.

Commentary & Analysis

As opposed to yesterday’s song, Away in a Manger, this song starts with a more appropriate view of Jesus as a baby – “Well, He cried when He was hungry,Did all the things that babies do.”  Jesus was fully God and fully human, and despite the fact that the bible does not explicitly tell us about his infancy, it is likely that he cried, rocked, napped, wiggled, giggled and cooed as this song proclaims.  I particularly like the juxtaposition of his humanness (“seemed as natural as it could be”) and his nature as God that made the angels sing, made a new star and change the world.

The chorus of this song is a rundown of several of the attributes of Jesus.

  • The angels announced his birth. (Luke 2:8-21)
  • A new star shined at his birth. (Matthew 2:1-12)
  • He came to change the world. (Luke 19:10)
  • He was God’s Son.  (John 3:16)
  • He was like no human who ever lived. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
  • He was God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

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December 3- Away In A Manger (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 3, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 2 Comments

22 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

The first two verses of this song was first published in 1885 in the book Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families which was part of collection of Sunday School materials for Evangelical Lutheran Sunday Schools.   The music was a tune credited to J.E. Clark.  While the words are sometimes attributed to Martin Luther, he did not write the original verses.  The final verse was first printed in 1892 in Gabriel’s Vineyard Songs and was probably written by Charles H. Gabriel.

Commentary & Analysis

This entire carol is built around one verse in the Bible which states: Continue Reading…

December 2 – O Little Town of Bethlehem (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 2, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 1 Comment

23 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

An Episcopal Priest from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania named Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868 three after visiting the tiny town of Bethlehem and being inspired by that visit.  The music was added by the church organist named Lewis Redner.

Commentary & Analysis

This song comments on the seeming clash between the silent and sleepy town of Bethlehem and the birth of God in that town one sleepy silent night.  Theologically the song is dead on!  In the dark streets of Bethlehem, like our darkened heart, God shines an everlasting light in the form of his son Jesus Christ.

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December 1 – Christmas With A Capital "C" (A Christmas Carol Advent)

December 1, 2009 in Christmas, Music with 1 Comment

24 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

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History

From the album titled Snow, Christmas With a Capital “C” is performed by the Go Fish Guys.  Go Fish is a popular Christian groups whose music, for the most part, targets children but with an “adult friendly” angle.  In other words, it’s kids’ music that most adults don’t mind listening to.  However, their harmonic Christmas album Snow is wonderful for all ages and includes this song which has had a viral response on the internet with over 9,000,000 views of their youtube video.

Commentary & Analysis

This song revolts against the current cultural trend which tries to separate Christ from the celebration of his birthday.  Go Fish defiantly reminds us that “It’s about the birth of Christ, and you can’t take that away.”   No matter what our society does with Christmas, as Christians we must remember what the day is really all about.  It’s about the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.  In the second verse, the song introduces the basics of the gospel – that we all sin (“God’s got a law and we pretty much destroyed it.”), that we will be judged (“We’re gonna get judged, there’s no way to avoid it.”), and that Jesus came to be our savior (“But Jesus came down to take the punishment for me.”).  Ultimately, that IS what Christmas is all about!

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