Greetings, Fellow Students!

I assume I am the first this year to say Merry Christmas!   Wow, this year has zoomed by!  I can’t believe it’s almost the Season of Light!  I hope all of you enjoyed (or are still enjoying) your Thanksgiving break, and are working hard until Christmas!

It’s on my heart this month to discuss praise, using hymns (especially Christmas hymns) as my example.  Different hymns are sung at different seasons, but Christmas time is known particularly for special hymns that keep the tempo for the exuberance of Christ’s birth!  They vary in a wide range of sensations, from heartfelt joy to quiet reflection, and all of them praise the Lord’s constant love!

One of my  favorite hymns is “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, or “Adeste Fideles,” a Latin hymn.  It mirrors the glory-filled songs of the “choirs of angels” and our adoration of the King.  “Hark!  the Herald Angels Sing”, by Charles Wesley, “Angels We Have Heard  On High”, a traditional French carol, and “Angels, From the Realm of Glory”, by James Montgomery have the same feel of the joyful singing of millions of angels, totally thrilled about the birth of Jesus!

While some hymns soar with deep feeling and a dynamic melody, others praise the graciousness of God at a quieter, more thoughtful tempo, as in “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, by Phillip Brooks, “The First Noel”,  a  traditional English carol, and “What Child is this?”, by William C. Dix.  These songs emulate the aspect of God’s grace at Christmas.           

Other hymns dwell on our part in the Christmas story, such as “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”, a traditional Spiritual, “Good Christian Men, Rejoice”, a Latin carol, and “What Can I Give Him?”, by Christina Rossetti.  Utter thanksgiving and a willingness to share the joy are the emotions found in these hymns.