Five for Friday – December Delight
Hope your holiday season is going well as the countdown to Christmas continues. I’m honored to share a little more musically about some December songs that have a very “specific holy message”! As we mentioned last week, there are some classics we hear over and over this time of year, but “grandma can get runover by a reindeer” only so many times!
So here we go again with “5 MORE great Christmas songs FOR FRIDAY’ (make sure to connect to the link to hear & see a great lyric video, performance or concept video of the song…
1. LEAVING HEAVEN (written & recorded by Matthew West)
- OK, this is one of my absolute favorites because of the song’s great theology. Straight from Philippians 2, Matthew West sings a portrayal of the heart of Jesus as He “leaves heaven”. Rather than my commentary, let’s just look at the lyrics…
- But first….the powerful Scripture from Philippians 2:5-11 it’s based on…
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
VERSE 1…Well it’s been real nice living way up here in Paradise above the atmosphere
But I can’s stay long, gotta make my way…I’m leaving heaven today
VERSE 2…You see the world is dark and it needs a light…I’m gonna hang a star in the eastern sky
So everybody’s gonna know where I touch down…I’m leaving heaven right now
CHORUS….I’m gonna walk around that broken Earth…trading in these streets of gold
So if you ever wonder ho much you’re worth, you should nknow
That you’re the reason why I’m leaving heaven
VERSE 3…Ain’t gonna be no kingdom, ain’t gonna be no crown…
Just a little old manger, in a little old town…But it’ll do just fine for this humble king…
I’m leaving heaven, let all the angels sing! (CHORUS again)
VERSE 4…And when my time comes to and end…I’ll lay down my life like the truest friend
And when I get back home…I’m gonna make some room…
So, don’t you worry ‘cause I’m coming back for you
OTHER CHORUS…And you will say good-bye to that broken Earth…
You’re gonna walk on streets of gold…and if you ever wonder how much you’re worth
You should know…that I’m the reason you’ll be seeing heaven…
Oh, you’re the reason why I’m leaving heaven
What a beautiful message to share this Christmas with others and what an important one as well. We’ve made some gift tags you might like to print off and use to share a message with each gift you give this Christmas.
2. LIGHT OF THE WORLD (sung by Lauren Daigle & written w/Paul Mabury & Paul Duncan)
- What an incredible song about the longing in the hearts of God’s people during His 400 years of silence in between the last words of the prophet Malachi and the coming of Jesus!
- This is one of the songs of “lament”, much like the song “O come, O Come Emmanuel” that we’ll have in our #5 slot this week. The lyrics are poetic with phrases like “the drought being broken with the tears of a mother” and “for all who wait, for all who hunger, for all who prayed, for all who wonder”.
- This “longing” for a Savior began in Genesis 3:14-15, as God began to hand out the “consequences/curses” for evil behavior, beginning with Satan himself…
- ”Then the Lord said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head and you will strike his heel.”
In that passage God gives ‘hope of redemption” before the couple has even left the Garden. And that hope was Jesus coming into the world as a baby, to grow up and offer His perfect life for our salvation. God’s people LONGED for that light of the world to come!
If you are looking for an inexpensive gift with a message of truth to give neighbors, work colleagues, and others, Amazon has some cute fillable lights that you can put treats, candy, Christmas scenes, etc, and we’ve got a printable note to go with it.
Printable ‘Light of the World’ note
3. SILENT NIGHT (lyrics by school master & church organist Franz Gruber & music & guitar accompaniment by Joseph Mohr in 1818 in Austria)
- It was a flooded river on Christmas Eve that prompted this classic worshipful carol to be written on a guitar for the church service that night.
- Bing Crosby sold 10 million copies. Kenny G’s Christmas album featuring his version of the song came in at over 3 million.
- The “Silent Night with lighting candles” experience in churches on Christmas Eve has been a part of almost every one of my 67 years. I hope you take a moment to go to the link to see & hear the recording by the Kingdom Choir, who you might remember performing at the most recent royal wedding in England. What a beautiful lullaby acknowledging the holiness of the incarnation! (Luke 2:6-20)
Please enjoy a ‘Silent Night’ printable you might want to frame for some Christmas decor!
4. WHAT CHILD IS THIS? (lyrics by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 in Great Britain, to the tune of the English folk song “Greensleeves”)
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- Any song in a minor key has an eerie feel to me. I think it’s meant to. But even though feeling the oddness of a minor key early, it resolves for a moment during the chorus. It’s “behind the scenes” details of its writing are amazing. William, the writer of the lyrics had succumbed to a severe illness that left him bedridden and deeply depressed for a long duration. But during his recovery, he discovered an insatiable desire for Scripture. And this song was born in his heart during his time of spiritual renewal that followed his sickness.
- The song begins with the utter amazement of the shepherds, followed by the invitation for the Wise Men to proceed with their gifts. The carol has an incredible “lost in wonder” feel, as it would have been perceived by those hearing the “heavenly host”!
- Now I’d like to take the liberty to share an “instrumental” link for you, which will be extremely rare for me in light of such profound lyrics. But the performance is also very powerful if you experience the video by Don Francisco, his wife and a friend, all who are extremely talented (and godly) musicians. Don wrote songs in the 80’s like “He’s Alive”. He has a rich background with his father previously being an Old Testament professor at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville.
- I hope you enjoy them “playing skillfully” (Psalm 33:3) for the glory of God!
Check out this fun and rustic nativity you can make for your home using items around the house!
Here is a hymn sheet printable you can use for the nativity.
5. O COME, O COME EMMANUAL (recorded by King and Country)
- Some say this song dates back to the 8th or 9th century and found its way from Latin to English in 1851. It’s based on Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel (which means God with us)”.
- It is song of lament as God’s people longed for His deliverance through the coming Messiah. The first verse captures the ache of the hearts of the Hebrew people…”O come, O come, Emmanuel. And ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here. Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
- The Roma people we work with at FMN feel a similar “social exile”, somewhat similar to what the Israelites felt when they were displaced as a nation. And the opportunity that we all have together to reach out to them with the gospel of peace this time of year is a privilege indeed! Thank you so much for partnering with us in this calling!
If you would like to send a message of HOPE to the Roma families this month as we prepare for Christmas, we would love you to send a note of encouragement, a picture, a Bible verse, or anything you might have on your heart. Feel free to send your message to info@fmnministries.org and we’ll be sure to share it!
I’m praying you enjoy some of these songs that might be a new version for you to listen to this Christmas.
George
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