A Season of WaitingSample

Once More with Feeling

The prophecies of Isaiah play a significant role in the Christmas story, connecting the Old and New Testaments and powerfully emphasising across time the promise of Jesus as Saviour and the hope He brings to the world. This scripture encourages us to ‘Burst into songs of joy together’.

So, it’s Christmas! Let’s sing. But which song? So many choices. We are bombarded with Christmas music this time of year. Be it the shopping centre Muzak, office Chrissie party, the local carols event, or on the radio, they’re everywhere. So, what’s it going to be? You giving us your best Mariah Carey with ‘All I Want for Christmas’ or maybe a ‘Bublé-esque’ version of ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’? These classics, along with hundreds of others, often focus on themes of nostalgia, celebration, and winter festivities, celebrating Santa, reindeer, presents, and the joy of family gatherings, which are all good, but often lack the deeper meaning that the season holds.

Don’t forget that in amongst the yuletide white noise there are some real gems. ‘Silent Night’, ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’, ‘Joy to the World’, ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ to name a few. These carols invoke themes of peace, salvation, and divine love. They resonate with the prophetic words of Isaiah. The deep irony here is that while they’re known and sung by heart, they contain messages far more profound than the singer may originally be considering, just becoming another Christmas tune. This year as you belt out ‘Joy to the World’, the very next line is a confession of faith: ‘The Lord has come.’ Sounds like bursting into songs of joy together to me. Let’s sing it like we mean it.

Written by Robbie Parkin