oasisCHURCH

The Theology of Christmas Music

With so much Christmas music being played everywhere we go these days, I wonder how often we actually pause to reflect on what the songs are actually saying. Christmas carols are some of the most familiar songs in the world. Some of them are good and speak the truth about God, while others may not be so accurate. In the weeks leading up to Christmas I will be posting some of the history behind the lyrics of a few of the most popular Christmas songs we sing in church.

The following article (and each related article that will follow this one in the coming weeks) is actually a portion of an article provided by Probe Ministries. I have taken the article segments from a posting at the Leadership U website.

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Most radio stations play some type of Christmas music during the holiday season, but many of the songs have become so familiar to us that we no longer consider their content. In between the secular songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Up on a Housetop," you may hear the strains of an old hymn by Charles Wesley called "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus." It was written in 1744, and it reads,

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.

"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is a little heavier than most of the music we are used to hearing today, and if we are not careful we will miss much of the meaning. The first verse focuses on the fact that the coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled Israel's longing for the Messiah. As the one whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament, He is the "long-expected Jesus."

A few of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled are Isaiah 7:14, which spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name would mean "God with us;" Isaiah 9:6, which told of a child whose name would be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, eternal Father, the Prince of Peace;" and Micah 5:2, which said that from Bethlehem would come a ruler whose "goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."

These and many similar prophecies looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, and many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the day when He would arrive. Luke 2 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was "looking for the consolation of Israel" (v. 25). When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from this passage when he described Jesus in this song as "Israel's strength and consolation."

Although He fulfilled Israel's prophecies, Jesus came to bring salvation to the entire world, which is what Wesley was referring to when he described Christ as the "hope of all the earth" and the "dear desire of every nation." More than that, He is the "joy of every longing heart." He alone is the one who can satisfy every soul.

The second verse tells us why Jesus can meet our expectations: He was "born a child and yet a King." As the One who is both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God's wrath completely by dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus' "all sufficient merit," he was referring to Christ's ability to bring us to salvation.

"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is a great song for Christmas, focusing on the "long-expected Jesus" who was born to set us free from sin and to bring us salvation by His death.

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Charles Wesley's best-known song is probably "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing." It has been altered slightly by editors, but most of it remains just as Wesley intended when he wrote it over 250 years ago.

As we generally hear it today, the song begins with a triumphant proclamation of Jesus' birth, describes the fact that He is both God and man, and then praises Him for the salvation He was born to provide.

The first verse reads, in part,

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled."

Talking about peace on earth is popular at Christmas time, and appropriately so, for Jesus did come to bring peace. Primarily, however, He came to bring us peace with God, which is what Wesley meant when he wrote, "God and sinners reconciled." We have all sinned against God; we have broken His commandments and thus made ourselves His enemies. When people become enemies, they cannot go back to being friends until their differences are set aside. Sometimes reconciliation involves the payment of reparations, and which is essentially what Jesus did when He died on the cross. He paid the price necessary to reconcile us to God. The price was really ours to pay, not God's, but Jesus was able to pay it because, though He was God, He became also a man, being born as a baby on that first Christmas day.

Charles Wesley described Jesus' birth in the second verse of this song. He wrote,

Christ by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.

Though He was the everlasting Lord, the second person of the Trinity (which is described in the song as "the Godhead"), fully equal in nature with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus became the "offspring of the Virgin's womb." He was "veiled in flesh," the "incarnate Deity." He was God, having become also a man. The name Emmanuel means "God with us," which is what Wesley was referring to when he wrote that Jesus was "pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel." He became a man, but in the process did not lose His deity. He was "God with us."

The idea that Jesus would lay aside His divine privileges for any reason is nothing short of incredible, but He did so in order to provide us with salvation. Wesley focused on this amazing occurrence in the third verse, where he wrote,

Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.

Jesus laid aside His own rights, coming to this earth and dying for our sins, that those who trust in Him might have eternal life. He was born that we might be born again, and that is good reason to sing "glory to the newborn King."

Holy Hip-Hop

This summer my kids have become enticed by the crunk sounds and deep beats of hip-hop music. Being the concerned parent that I am, and recognizing that most of the songs I have heard of this genre have similar themes (none of which I particularly want my 2nd grader and kindergartener to be repeating down the halls of Morrison Elementary School this fall), I began the search for some good, uncheesy, hip-hop that actually gives glory to God in the song itself and not just behind the grammy podium or in the magazine article. Well, after a couple of weeks of listening, reading, and comparing, I have found three favorites. All of which love Jesus and are completely sold out to glorifying their Maker. The first of the three I know personally.

Wut Metaphysical (AKA Jake McDonnell) has a unique sound and some of the most passionate and honest lyrics you will find in Christian hip-hop. Not only do I know Jake personally, I actually introduced him to a personal relationship with Jesus while serving as a youth pastor in St. Louis, MO. Jake was a punk skateboarder who I met in the parking lot of our church building after our church bus had been set on fire (he said he had nothing to do with it). After helping me put together an outreach event called "SkateDay" Jake began to put some trust in me and he wanted to hear stories from the Bible. For a while I went to his neighborhood and sat down with 5 or 6 of his friends and told a Bible story once a week. But eventually those guys began coming to our youth service, and a few months later Jake completely surrendered to Jesus Christ, put his faith in God and was baptized. He became one of the most intensely committed members of the church and to Jesus Christ that I have ever had the pleasure to know. He is very talented, and he is a brilliant thinker. He has a missionary's heart, and this becomes obvious as you listen to his CD. You can go to Jake's MySpace page here. His CD is available on iTunes or you can purchase a hard copy here.

Lecrae is definately one of my favorites. He is a theologian with a mic in his hand. The flows and rhymes this guy creates with a solid biblical foundation are incredible (and the beat will undoubtedly make you bob your head). He even uses the word "propitiation" in one of his songs, so you gotta love him! You can listen and buy Lecrae's CD on iTunes, or by clicking here. If you buy this one, be sure to turn the bass all the way up in your car.

Pettidee is for fans of Lil Jon. He drives every song with a deep, powerful and commanding voice. This is definately the crunk sound, but the powerful punch it delivers is the Gospel, hands down. Pettidee is fun to listen to. You can listen and purchase his CDs on iTunes or by clicking here.

It seems to be a summertime thing for our family. The summer brings out the "hip-hop" in us. I have to admit that I like it a little myself. But I am grieved at how base and carnal the lyrical content of (not all, but) the majority of mainstream hip-hop music is. It really is a shame, because there are some incredibly talented writers, musicians and vocalists in the hip-hop genre.

I am thankful for guys like Jake, Lecrae, Pettidee, and many, many more. There is no shame in blaring their songs as we cruise down the road in our Honda Odyssey minivan.

PS... If you or your kids like hip-hop music and would like some other alternatives to radio, I have found several others besides the three above that may fit your tastes. Just let me know and I will be glad to pass some samples to you.

"Jesus or My Girlfriend?"

One of the blogs I read, FIDE-O, has had a series of posts called "Jesus or My Girlfriend?" (NOTE: The authors on FIDE-O can be a bit extreme, and some of their theology I do not agree with, but I do like most of what they have to say). In these particular posts Scott Hill is taking on many of the popular worship songs Christians sing and he’s asking the question, “What kind of theology is this?” The point he makes is that many of the songs we have accepted as “powerful” and "meaningful" worship songs actually have fluffy, lacking, and somewhat effeminate theology when you really stop to consider it. He calls these songs “Jesus is my girlfriend” songs and comments that it’s no wonder two-thirds of the men in this country refuse to come to church or sing in worship. Because many of the songs we sing to Jesus probably makes most masculine men feel a little creepy. Additionally, there is little biblical foundation for most of the lyrics.

What he does is post the lyrics of a particular song, and as you read it you are compelled to ask the question, "Could this song be sung to someone's girlfriend?" If so, then good chances are it's a theologically weak song.

I admit, his post stepped on my toes a little. But I appreciate it. And I need the challenge. We should be more discerning in what we sing.

music_review: STAVESACRE

Fresh from the studio, this is the 5th full length album from the Huntington Beach foursome. Stavesacre is a band that has been a top fiver in my listening wardrobe for a few years. Singer, songwriter and author Mark Solomon has taken the band through many twists and turns musically from their original sound on the debut album "Friction" to their 2002 self-titled album release. In a music scene full of plastic, manufactured sounding "modern rock" and even screamo indie rock, "How To Live With A Curse" is fresh and innovative. In their most anticipated record to date, "How To Live..." spirals lyrical intensity and melodic indie post-hardcore for a powerful sound and feel that is embodied by the last song, "Kill My Darlings":

Leave it all behind
Nothing here is mine
But – IwantitIneeditInurtureandfeedit
Kill my darlings, once and for all time
Because nothing here is mine
Nothing here is mine
I leave it all behind

And that’s how you live…
That’s how you live…
That’s how you live with a curse.

Other songs include "Fear and love", which starts out evoking an early 80s ballad, but quickly shows its' relevance and that postcore sound comes drifting back in. "The Trouble with Being Born" is a witty, grity, hard track with a simple but riveting jam. "It's Beautiful (Once You're Out Here)", which stavesacre also created a video for this featured track, is a personal call by Solomon to experiece God.

"How To Live..." is another album by the best rock band you've never heard of (but indie fans know as a staple) that envelope themes like the sovereignty of God, personal battle with sin, and the loss of confidence in nationalism and politics as a means for purpose.

WWW.HOWTOLIVEWITHACURSE.COM
WWW.STAVESACRE.COM

And He Set Me On Fire

This morning in our Oasis gathering we had a great time. Here is a recorded portion of our worship time together.

God Did

Last night I taught the song "Yearn" to my kids. It's a really good worship song that you can find on three different Shane & Shane CDs. Bedtime is always a good time to learn new worship songs. I have really come to appreciate the music of Shane & Shane (Shane Barnard & Shane Everett), two guys who's style is simple and smooth, but lyrical content is deep and solid. I highly recommend Shane & Shane's music if you are looking for something new to listen to in the car, at work, or on the headphones late at night. Listening to them is a little bit like listening to a good sermon on God's grace. Here's a sample lyric of one of the songs that was ringing in my head yesterday. It's a song called "God Did".

Growin’ up I overheard
All the grown ups sayin’
You better be prayin’
And sayin’
All the right little things
At the right little times
And I had it down
At least on the outside
I’d put my best side forward
I could smile with the best
And dress like the rest
Of the messed up church folk singin’ a song

Are you sitting down
With all your sin and shame all stored up
Are you ready to live
For what the law could not do
God did

Could it be that morality
Got the best of you and me
Got us thinking
That we’re on the brink
Of a drink of the cup that’s all filled up
With the cross havin’ even a little to do with us
It was His day
It was His way
To the glory of His grace
Took our disease
Enough to please
The Father of lights
To bruise Jesus

Maybe do’s and don’ts
Were made to show
How much we do
And don’t ever make it

“Lord, help us to understand the depth of Your ever sovereign sacrifice in Jesus. That what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh…” (Rom 8:3)

Notice that last stanza. Maybe do's and don'ts were made to show how much we do and don't ever make it (on our own). That's good stuff.

Online Sales

If you would like to purchase copies of the Living Room worship CD, just send me an email with your name, mailing address, and the number of copies you would like sent to you. The disks are $8 per CD, but money is not an issue. So let me know what you can give.

In the next day or so we will have the chord charts for the songs on the disk so you can learn to play along if you wish.

Living Room Sample

OK... I know everyone is anxious to hear the 12 songs we recorded tonight in the Living Room, so here's a quick sample. We hope to have the entire project finished in just a couple of weeks.

GRACE POURED OUT by Des Jeffers (Chad Dodson, worship leader)

I will be posting more about the Living Room project tomorrow, including photos.

An Update: Songs My Father Taught Me

Back in mid-November I announced on the blog that I was working on a new album entitled “Songs My Father Taught Me”. I’m glad to announce that these past seven or so months have been very fruitful for me. God has been gracious enough to quiet my mind, open up my heart, and say to me, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things (Psalms 81:10).” I’m very proud and excited about this new project because it is featuring the works of some very gifted individuals in our fellowship. Two of the songs on this project are by none other than Des Jeffers. I’m sure you would all agree that Des is someone we are all very lucky to know and also someone whose gifts continue to bless us in the best of ways. There is also a tune on here by the ever sensitive to the Spirit Lara Perrin. Lara and I are still collaborating to finish her song but it will be ready to record some time in the near future. Other than that one song every other song on the following list is completely written and ready to record. However, the recording process is still somewhat far away. I really want to take my time and record this album right. So I’m not rushing anything. I’m currently saving up money for a good quality drum machine that I’ll be able to use in home recording for many years to come. It will be just like having my own portable Jared all the time. Once I have that I’ll launch headlong into recording. I’m hoping for a November release date but that might be just a hair too soon. If not by then I’m definitely aiming to have this sucker ready to go by Christmas. This will be a full-bore kind of project. If you want to get a taste of what the entire album will sound like you can scroll back through the archives and find the version of “Break Me” that I put on the blog recently. Hopefully I can make it sound even better than that. So anyway, here is the updated list of tracks that I plan to put on this new project. Some of these tunes you have heard and some will be new to your ears.

Break Me

Call To Worship

You Move Me

You…My God

God With Us

Rush

Bloom (by Lara Perrin)

Rise (on the blog I accidentally called this Arise but Des’ original title is Rise/Sorry Des)

Let My Heart (adapted from Psalm 119)

Victory Dance (yet another Des goody)

Without You

Saved

Body and Soul (adapted from Song of Songs)

Bonus Track: Teach Me (plugged in)

I’ll keep you posted if there are any changes or other developments on the project. I’ll also be posting tunes on the blog so you can hear them as each one comes off the presses. My heart is overwhelmed with love for each of you that has supported me and encouraged me through this time in my life. Thank you with all the honesty of love that I can possibly muster. I love you, my family.   

Duo Glide

There he is, folks! Our very own Chad Dodson sporting the "cool cat" look in the Athens News Arts & Entertainment section this week. Chad will be playing this Saturday evening from 9:00PM-10:00PM at the Blue Gator in Athens.