It's Christmastime Again!
As I chastised the Home Depot team for assaulting me in late-September by changing a quarter of the store into everything Charlie Brown railed against, their sympathy and their agreement with me was refreshing. None of the staff there liked the timing (I took an impromptu poll) – but most refreshing, was that some of the employees told me that they had even lodged their complaints up their chain of command. Somehow, that helped me feel better. Because of that, I didn’t feel as though I had to give Home Depot the Target-treatment.
I see a thread connected to that, which I hadn’t noticed before. I can now willingly put on Christmas music. It’s as though I didn’t cross the Thanksgiving threshold with baggage. I can hit the play-button of my own initiative. Hip, hip, hooray!
With the newfound willingness I have, I’m catching some of the Christmas music anew. I’ve been ruminating on these words recently, from Joy to the World::
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;
He
comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found.
The curse is found everywhere. And 1 John 3:8b (ESV) – The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
The old man in me has come to enjoy Josh Garrels and his Christmas music. I particularly find these lyrics from The Light Came Down worth clinging to:
Prophets have spoken, all He would accomplish,
When the light of
God, would dwell with men
Everything promised about the coming Savior was fulfilled in Christ, which makes me think of Ephesians
1:7-10 (ESV) – In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to
us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set
forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all
things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Andrew
Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God is unquestionably the best
Christmas album of all time*, with nothing holding a candle to Jill
Phillips singing Labor
of Love. I recommend
listening to this in the stillness of the night – to remember what
may have been forgotten.
And of course Crowder’s music is far and away amazing. Although there is no singing, his version
of Carol of the
Bells shines like no other. Treat yourself with a loud listen - I'm sure it was the music the angels played as they heralded Jesus' birth.
What sounds of the season speak to you?
*Christmas involves a generosity of spirit, and so to all who hold a different perspective, I offer grace and mercy in their error.