Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is one of my favorite Christmas carols. But almost three centuries have passed since it was composed, and the meaning of some of its lines may not be immediately obvious to everyone who sings this fine song. What do these words actually signify? Here is a line-by-line brief commentary on … Continue reading Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: Explained Line-by-Line
Tag: Christmas
Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
It has become trendy in recent years to publicly proclaim that Joy to the World was not originally written as a song about Christ’s First Coming, but rather was composed as a forward-looking celebration of Christ’s future Second Coming. Have you encountered this assertion? See, for example, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE—a few examples among … Continue reading Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
Why December 25 for Christmas?
One popular but less-likely theory for why we celebrate Christmas on December 25 is that Christians piggy-backed their Christmas celebration on the Roman pagan Sol Invictus festival (the Unconquered Sun), which was established in A.D. 274 by the Emperor Aurelian. In some modern Christian circles, the claim that the date of Christmas was borrowed from … Continue reading Why December 25 for Christmas?
My Three Least Favorite “Christmas” Playlist Songs
I dislike playing the part of the Grinch, but can we as Christians admit that there are some really awful “Christmas” songs that have become standards on many Christmas playlists? None of the songs I have included today on my least-favorite list are actually Christian Christmas songs at all; but they all commonly get included … Continue reading My Three Least Favorite “Christmas” Playlist Songs
Why You Shouldn’t Tell Your Children that Santa Claus is Real
A few evenings ago, we hosted a delightful group of ten Biola students at our house for dinner. During dessert, we launched into a lively discussion about how we should celebrate Christmas as Christians. We discussed various sub-topics under this broader question, but we spent the largest portion of our time talking about how Christians should—and … Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t Tell Your Children that Santa Claus is Real
Can I Recommend a Christmas Gift?
One of the hardest things about being a Christian author is determining how much—or how little—to promote a book I’ve written. Nevertheless, in the presence of the Lord, I know that I have the responsibility not only to prayerfully and carefully write books that strengthen people’s faith and further Christ’s kingdom, but also to encourage … Continue reading Can I Recommend a Christmas Gift?
Christmas Presence
Two days before Christmas last year I was sitting in church when the worship leader invited us to ponder a question: “What is it that you need to release to the Lord during this Christmas time?” He gave us a few moments of quiet to prayerfully contemplate a response. It wasn’t long before I knew … Continue reading Christmas Presence
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in the Middle East
Years ago, when Trudi and I lived in the Middle East, I wrote a prayer letter employing the poetic structure of “The Night Before Christmas.” I share it with you on this Christmas Eve. ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through our house Not a creature was stirring, ‘cept Trudi my spouse She stirred … Continue reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in the Middle East
Kindle Afresh 