Christmas carols

What will Christmas look like in the years ahead? In the Church, the birth of Jesus will be celebrated as always. The traditions of Christmas are secure. For many Christians, Christmas carols are our children’s connection to our faith and the faith of the generations before. How?

The vast majority of churches in America where there are actually children present have contemporary worship. Many children grow up not knowing the hymns sung in prior generations. My children fit into this category. They know the praise choruses and modern Christian songs. They don’t know too many hymns.

Now, don’t get too excited about this fact. God says repeatedly in the Bible, “Sing a new song.” I would take the discipleship exhibited by my children and their peers where I worship and match it with any prior generation. They walk the walk, more than ever, in a “strange land,” shall we say.

At the same time, there are signs that hymns are coming back again. In new arrangements. The old hymns are so ancient that now they are becoming “hip” with modern church worship leaders. In the next decade, I won’t be shocked if we are doing a little revisiting of our hymnody. But in the meantime, it is carols that connect the generations. These songs have a lasting power like no other. Why is that?

Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams put it this way:

The carol is so popular because it gives voice to the common emotions of healthy people in language that can be shared by all.

I agree. Music is such a personal taste, but carols transcend the genres. They never seem to get old. And another thing-

we only sing them for a month.