Keep Christ In Christmas

You should know that this is not my only blog. I also have one, shall we say, for things NOT affiliated with the church! On that blog, in less churchly terms, I have debated the so-called "War on Christmas" that I hear about on Facebook and Fox news all the time. The links to those lovely rants appear below, but here, I'd like to approach it differently.

In short, I think that the whole idea of a "War on Christmas" is ridiculous. No one is in danger of anyone forbidding the celebration, and the simple fact that we greet each other with a hearty "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" isn't ruining the celebration. For all the people throwing out the phrase "Keep Christ in Christmas," many of them are attempting to rally people to their "side;" Sort of a Team Christmas vs. Team Other Holidays.

I DO believe that we should Keep Christ in Christmas. But what that means to me is different than you may expect. I'm coming from a unique perspective: I have researched this over the course of many years in writing my holiday musical, "The Legend of Saint Nicholas." So, I understand that to a certain extent, performing the secular acts associated with Christmas IS THE SAME as keeping Christ in Christmas.

This holiday is beautiful because it's an amazing blend of the sacred and the frofane. Everyone's getting ripped on Egg Nog, because it's Jesus' Birthday! My electric bill is through the roof from all the lights on my house... for Jesus! I love all the secular elements of this season, and I believe that it shouldn't take away from the sacred elements of the season.

I don't mind Santa Claus coming to my house, because I know that St. Nicholas was a Catholic priest, known for his extreme generosity. Following Jesus' instruction: “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets... But when you give to the needy... your giving may be in secret;" (Matthew 6) Nicholas gave his gifts in secret, sneaking into people's houses and hiding gifts in their stockings. Therefore, continuing that tradition IS keeping Christ in Christmas.

The Christmas Tree is a pagan symbol, but it's been adopted by Christians because of its symbolism. The triangular shape of most trees is a symbol of the Trinity. The fact that it's an evergreen is symbolic of everlasting life. I always find it morbidly ironic that cutting down a live tree and in a sense, killing it, is to symbolize everlasting life, which is why my tree is a fake one. But ON the tree we hang decorations, often ornaments that we collect over the course of our family's life together. The act of decorating is a family get together in and of itself. Dedication to family... very Christian indeed.

Shopping? Oy, vey. We scramble to buy just the perfect gift. We often put ourselves into debt to commercialize the holiday. But don't forget, we're giving to emulate the giving of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the Baby Jesus. Since I'm pretty sure my Uncle Joe would NOT appreciate me giving him Myrrh; instead, I look for gifts he may need or want, to make his life a bit happier. The first gifts, given by Saint Nicholas were needs, not wants. And according to my musical, and the book on which it is based, ("The Autobiography of Santa Claus,") he decided to focus his giving on Children, and the best gift for children is a toy. Food will be eaten, then you're hungry again. Clothing will be outgrown. Most acts of Charity are temporary. The way to make a lasting impression on a child's life is to spark their imagination, and give them the gift of happiness and hope. I'm pretty sure Jesus would approve.

Lord, When we say, "Keep Christ in Christmas," let us not do so by abandoning those secular traditions, but rather let us strive to understand them, change the WAY we do them, and most importantly, teach our children what's really important about them.

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Click the links if you really, REALLY want to read my other thoughts on the subject:
The "War on Christmas" is Stupid; The "War on Christmas" is Anti-semitic; The focus of the "War on Christmas" on Christmas Trees is Stupid; and The "War on Christmas" is NOT, in fact, Christian!

Rules

While Flipping through my hymnal one Sunday, I stumbled across one of the opening pages. It printed the directions for singing presented by John Wesley. They made me giggle, but also offer insight into how to praise God through music.

I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please. I like to do an ecclectic mix of music at SUMC. Hold true to the classics, but also introduce more contemporary. Traditiona Hymns, but also Classical pieces.
II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can. That one is for everyone who tries to put syncopated rhythms on the beat, or add those extra measures to Amazing Grace.
III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a single degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing. 'Nuff said?
IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, then when you sung the songs of Satan. The hymns aren't chores. They ARE praise. They ARE worship.
V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound. That one's for me. :)
VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing to slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first. And Watch your Conductor!
VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

From John Wesley's Select Hymns, 1761
 

Watch your conductor Part Two

In my very first blog entry, I recollected a true event that happened right in our church. That event got me thinking about ways that a musician following a conductor is similar to us following God. If you haven't read the first one yet, please click the link and do so. I'll wait....

Well, we held the annual conference at SUMC recently, and two moments from that weekend gave me reason to revisit other aspects of this topic.

The first happened on Saturday, at the conference. I was called in to play the hymns. And I did so, faithfully. One of the people from another church brought along a Djembe Drum. I did not realize this until I suddenly heard drumming along with the music. Problem was: this guy was not playing at the same tempo as I was. He was keeping a clear beat of his own, but it wasn't in sync with me or the other singers. I later found out that he was one of the Pastors.

As we battled for the correct rhythm, I wondered, can he just not hear me? Is he trying to take charge and change the tempo? Is he hinting that the song should be faster or slower? And where does he get off telling ME what to do?

The speaker then reported about the National Methodist Conference. They were debating some changes to how the church does things. One particular issue was in such dispute, and time was running out, so they jumped the gun, and put in a final proposal just to get the issue off the table. Suddenly, someone stood up to speak. She reminded the assembly that the Holy Spirit was talking to them. They weren't done with this issue yet. They tabled the issue for more discussion until the next meeting.The report became a reminder that it's not all about us down here. It's about God's purpose, and serving God's will.

I was reminded that it's not all about me, the leader/conductor/organist, and it's not all about the drummer helper guy. What's important to God is that everyone is participating in the song. In a different layout of a church, I could help the drummer keep tempo with the rest of us. But all we could do for the moment, was just be, and participate.

The next day. Sunday. I woke up AT 9am. I'm supposed to be at church by 9am. I shouted some very unchristian words, and raced out the door. I called Seba, with simple instructions: I'll be there soon; go over the parts for today's anthem.

Now, it was Mother's Day, and our traditional Anthem for mother's day is a piece called "As A Mother Comforts Her Child." It's a bit deep, and not very pop-ish, and there's a verse about a bear killing someone who threatens her cubs. It also has some counterpoint which is doable, but very challenging for the choir. It's always a lot of work to get them psyched about doing it.

So, during the time I was commuting, the choir had some discussion. They started expressing that fear we all have of going out in front of people not fully prepared. They were unsure of the anthem, and a little intimidated by the response to the psalm for that day. Instead of spending that 15 minutes-half hour learning the parts to get ready, they debated whether or not to even do it, and with our pastor's permission, suggested an alternative anthem, and chose the easier alternate response for the psalm.

Now remember, in this allegory, I'm the conductor, representing God, and they are the choir, representing all of us. Has that ever happened to you? You hear and understand God's plan for you, and what you should do, but it seems difficult, and you are afraid of failure and humiliation; so you reason your way into finding an alternative course of action. One that strays from God's path for you.

When I finally arrived, and the choir informed me of the decisions regarding music planning that THEY did; I corrected them, ran through the parts of "As the Mother" and it went amazingly. Because of time constraints, I went with the alternate response for the psalm, which incidently, was for use during Christmastime. It was the first line of "Joy To The World." In May. On Mother's Day.

Often when we try to take the easier path, which we know is not God's plan, the results are just as disastrous. Before I started going back to church several years ago, I had not been defying God's instructions, but rather ignoring them, and trying to find my own way. Like a choir planning their own music without a conductor to guide them. After my return to the church, my way was clear, and things in my life became easier, and more managable. Still an occasional "bad performance" but nothing to compare with singing "Joy to The World" on Mother's Day.

Lord, forgive us when we try to reroute the journey you have planned for us. Help us to know our part, and give us the confidence to trust your guidance. And when someone or something throws off our tempo, help us to find a way to play together, rather than fight each other. Amen


But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. Job 28:12-13

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good. Psalm 119:34-39

2011 - Year in Music - Contemporary Christian

On my other blog, (the one that occasionally included stuff I shouldn't share with my church) I'm running down my favorite music from 2011. I've explained myself, and covered Artists from the past, Country Music, Rock Music and Singers and Songwriters.

But sorting through the offerings on Napster, and now Rhapsody, I got to hear a wide selection of Christian Rock and Gospel artists. I can now say that Christian music is just like pop music. There's some good stuff, and a WHOLE LOT of bad stuff.

There's an odd feeling about Christian music. When it's terrible and simplistic, you almost feel guilty about not liking it. You expect that the artists will come back at you and say, "What do you have against Christianity?" And then you have to explain yourself; about how you work for a church, and you really love Jesus, and please don't pray for bad things to happen to me!

1 Corinthians 13:11 reads, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." To me, that means that younger people understand their religion at the most basic level; "God is Good. He loves us. Jesus died for our sins." As you get older, you start to seek out and appreciate a more complex understanding of God's love for us.

Similarly, many Christian artists write songs that are just plain simplistic and silly. These basic praise songs are wonderful for the purpose they serve: use in worship. But when I'm listening to Christian music for leisure, I prefer to delve into reflection, express more natural feelings, and explore something more than just "My God is an Awesome God."

These albums, which came out last year, all express that deeper love for God and Jesus, and do it in an incredibly musical way. I encourage everyone to check them out, even if they aren't religious; because beyond being Christian, they're also great musicians.

Amy Grant - Somewhere Down the Road (Deluxe Edition) - True, this album really came out in 2010, and the deluxe edition, which was released last year, only features a few more remixes of the single "Overnight;" but it's still really good. Amy Grant's pop career has diminished in the eyes of pop culture what a truly amazing songwriter she really is. "Somewhere Down the Road" ignores the pop culture impact of her career, and just focuses on expressing true feelings through beautiful music.

Psalms Alive! with Rob Mathes - If you've never heard of Rob Mathes, SEEK HIM OUT. I fell in love with his music with his Christmas Concerts, and his album "Evening Train" is one of my all time favorites. This collection must have come from a touring show he produced with original musical setting of the words of the Psalms. Mathes' brilliance as a composer and as a pop style artist shines through with every song which mixes Gospel with other styles.

The Martins - New Day - OK, picture a family band playing Branson or Salt Lake City, like the Osmonds, performing deeply religious music. Now, imagine it's not ridiculously cheesy. The Martins have a great feel for country-ish pop, and are all supremely talented. All three of their voices shine on solos, and their harmonies work very well.

Dave and Jess Ray - Music for The Radio - I played this album for my students, and they dug it. It took a while before some of them began to suspect the religious nature of the music. This group mixes modern pop music with some hip-hop elements, but this could have easily been recorded by any Disney artist and sold to audiences worldwide. Which, ironically, is the whole point of the title song.

Echoing Angels - This country rock band IS Christian, but their music isn't, necessarily. The Christian morality is what they write about without preaching. Plus, the songs rock hard and feel great to listen to.

And my favorite of the year... Brandon Heath - Leaving Eden - Heath's music is heartfelt and passionate. He sucks you in with the title song which sings about the bad things that happen in life, and then heals you with the rest of the album. Two songs hit home as brilliantly insightful; the amazingly beautiful meditation, "Only Water," and the motivational "The One." The rest of the album is great, too.