Christmas in January
Most years I start playing Christmas music the week of Thanksgiving. It aligns nicely with when the local light rock radio station switches over to holiday music. For a month straight, it’s pretty much a steady stream of Christmas music for me.
It’s now a few days into the new year, but there’s been one Christmas song that I’ve kept on repeat: “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Mariah Carey’s rendition has been particularly worship inducing, regardless if much of her music has her pining for lesser things (“All I Want for Christmas is You,” anyone?”) Credit those ridiculously high diva notes for prompting me to re-examine the lyrics to this , which resonate as a beautiful invitation first published in Latin by John Francis Wade:
“O come…”
The invitation is in the word “come.” It’s a given that all invitations ask the recipient to come in some form, yet I can’t help but think that I often drag my feet when it comes to drawing near to God. It reminds me of the prophet Isaiah’s invitation: "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” (Isaiah 55:1-2)
“...all ye faithful”
To be considered faithful is to remain steadfast in all circumstances. I admit to waning when I can’t see a path to deliverance, or a clear manifestation of His presence. It takes a lot to be faithful, but let’s not forget the important insertion of “all.” This implies that we are part of a community of redeemed, and I find that it is in community with the church of Jesus Christ that I am prodded along to be counted amongst the faithful.
“Joyful and triumphant”
I love that these two adjectives are juxtaposed. Sometimes the idea of being joyful without the fact that we are triumphant feels empty - we need this assurance as we live godly lives in the present as we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)
“Come and behold Him”
Beholding something is not a modern sort of expression, but it has this plea to hear, or pay attention. To behold Christ who came so humbly, and yet is Savior of the world is beyond worthwhile. And yet I find so many other things to fixate on, especially in a digital age when I am increasingly fidgety, wanting to move on to the next thing rather than just be still and fix my eyes on Jesus.
“O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord”
Besides the fact that choruses by nature repeat on their own, I think it’s important that this line is sung 3x. It takes a constant call to adore, or worship our Savior because if we’re being real with ourselves, we need that push. The change in pronoun to “us” is also significant. Together we assemble in worship, and together with representation from every nation we will worship Christ together, declaring, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:11)
My prayer is that this invitation to come, behold, and adore lingers on well into the new year. Not that I want to be listening to Christmas music come June, but that I will continue to ponder anew this Christ, who alone is worthy.