"Christmas" Hymns

[Jack K]

What do you guys think of the following. Some of these lines are wrong, some are questionable, some I have no clue the meaning. Any help, any opinions? (Joshua is not allowed to say, "yes there are some opinion, yes there is a possibility of help")





Angels We Have Heard on High – “See him in a manger laid; Whom the choirs of angels praise; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid; While our hearts in love we raise.”

Away in the Manger – “The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes; But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.”

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – “The which His mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.” AND anything else it says about Mary, this seems very RC.

Good King Wenceslas – THE WHOLE THING. Anyone tell me who St. Agnes is?

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – TALK MORE OF THIS ONE. “Mild He lays his glory by…”

In the Bleak Midwinter – “Heav’n and earth shall flee away; When He comes to reign.” AND “But his mother only, in her maiden bliss; worshipped the beloved with a kiss.”

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - ? Any here?

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming – “It came, a blossom bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night.”

O Holy Night – “Long lay the world in sin and error pinning; Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.”

We Three Kings – “We three kings of Orient are…”

What Child is This? – “The Virgin sings her lullaby: Joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the Son of Mary!”

Oh, but you left out the worst offender of all... The First Noel:

They (the shepherds) looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.

Well, the Bible never says the shepherds saw the star. The wise men saw it in the east but did not follow it from there. They went to Jerusalem, then followed the star from Jerusalem to the house wherre Jesus was. They never intended to follow the star, and were in fact overjoyed at seeing it again when they left Herod, suggesting it hadn't kept shining for a prolonged period as the hymn suggests.

And that's my picky complaint post for today.

 

[JBaldwin]

I can't remember if it was here or another a yahoo group to which I belong, but someone listed the lines of the Christmas hymns which have the Gospel in them. As I read through them, I was very encouraged.

What Child is This? – “The Virgin sings her lullaby: Joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the Son of Mary!”

It is clear from the rest of this song that is supports the incarnation.

"What Child is This"
Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding
Good Christian fear for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading
Nails spear shall pierce Him thro'
The cross be borne for me for you
Hail hail the Word made flesh
The Babe the Son of Mary

So bring Him incense gold and myrrh
Come peasant king to own Him
The King of kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him
Raise raise the song on high
The virgin sings her lullaby
Joy joy for Christ is born
The Babe the Son of Mary

 

[puritan lad]

There is a local radio station that plays all Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas. While I love to listen to it, I have to turn it off when I constantly hear...

John Lennon's "So this is Christmas and what have you done...War is over if you want it".
David Bowie's version of the Drummer boy (butchers the Biblical meaning of "peace on earth")
The Christmas Shoes (Too much sentimentalism, and Jesus doesn't care what your shoes look like.)

 

[tlharvey7]

There is a local radio station that plays all Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas. While I love to listen to it, I have to turn it off when I constantly hear...

John Lennon's "So this is Christmas and what have you done...War is over if you want it".
David Bowie's version of the Drummer boy (butchers the Biblical meaning of "peace on earth")
The Christmas Shoes (Too much sentimentalism, and Jesus doesn't care what your shoes look like.)

amen and amen!
i would also add the george michaels "last christmas"....

 

[R Harris]

I really like Joy to the World.

I don't like it, for two reasons:

1. Written by Isaac Watts, whom I do not like for a number of reasons;
2. It is supposedly based upon Psalm 98, but if you put Psalm 98 and Joy to the World side by side, I really see no similarity, but maybe that's just me.

 

[JonathanHunt]

1. Written by Isaac Watts, whom I do not like for a number of reasons;

Greatest hymnwriter ever in my humble opinion. For quantity, and for quality. If I could have just one hymnwriter (yes, apart from the Book of the Psalms!!) it would be him.

Notwithstanding his theological aberrations later in life, which do not affect his hymns. I'm with Spurgeon on hymnwriters who had odd views - if the hymn is sound, I'll sing it.

The wiki page on Watts is quite good.

Also this biography.

 

[Reepicheep]

Even as an EP'er, I've always liked "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - until I finally listened to the lines that go:

Mild he lays his glory by,
(No, He never laid His glory aside!)
Born that man no more may die,
(No, He died in our stead, that those who were chosen from before the foundation of the earth would have His imputed righteousness and not die the death that they deserved!)
Born to raise the sons of earth,
(No, not if they stay "sons of earth," whatever that is.)
Born to give them second birth.
(No: again, He died so as to make a way for the new - and life-giving - birth for His chosen ones. This is Catholicism.)

Sorry, but I don't think these lines are wrong. They could be more technical, I suppose, but they're not really wrong or unbiblical.

1. Jesus most certainly laid aside a certain bit of his glory. He gave up independent access to some of His divine attributes for a time. That's laying some glory aside I would say.
2. He did die that man would not die. It doesn't say every man. I guess the writer could have said "Born that the elect may no longer die"? We don't need to ultra-Calvinize hymns that can be interpreted more than one way, in my opinion.
3. The sons of earth clearly refers to earthlings...that would be mankind. No problem there.
4. Huh? He did die that we might be born again (second birth).

With all due respect, I think you're knit-picking on this great hymn.

 

[Pilgrim72]

[video=youtube;s0XdZkpaUe4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0XdZkpaUe4[/video]

 

[MarieP]

I really like Joy to the World.

Actually, that's a song of the Second Advent too! Watts saw Psalm 98 as speaking of the Second Coming.

http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources...ngs of Christmas 2004/11_joy_to_the_world.htm