We all know – people come to church at Christmas. There may be many reasons: perhaps people are reacting to the conspicuous consumption; or the fact that the Season needs a Reason.
But there comes a moment when the need for something more causes a person to come to a carol service.
And it’s a good thing they are there. Whatever human reason they had for coming, there is also a divine reason.
So how do we use this opportunity?
Firstly, do have a carol service in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
I knew a minister who refused to sing carols until Christmas Eve because technically it was still Advent. I do not think the church calendar figures highly in the secular mindset, and we need to make use of all opportunities. I admit I did once play Christmas carols on 25 June in the higher regions of Yosemite National Park, but that was because the lodges were seasonal and were never open at Christmas!
Secondly, make use of the beauty of the music but don’t fail to bring out the message.
Have you ever wondered why there are such stunning pieces of music at this time of year? What causes such a surge of creativity? Its surely the subject matter itself. God enters our world as a human – Immanuel, God with us, Matthew tells us in Chapter 1. He is with us to save us, as His other name Jesus tells us. But Matthew bookends his Gospel in Chapter 28 by telling us that He is with us always, to stay. And He can be with His sinful people because of the cross. See how Matthew’s time line covers 1,500 years in Matthew Chapter 1, 30 years in Matthew Chapter 2 and then after three years of ministry focuses down to one holy week and then literally down to hours as He is on the cross. Like a great express train screaming to a halt, we see it is through His cross that He is with us always, to stay.
The ‘God with us’ idea is such a grand theme and it appears throughout our Christmas music. The challenge is to take what is familiar, and invest it with its proper meaning. Perhaps, going into John Lewis or Tesco and hearing the word Immanuel as background music, we should all fall on our knees in worship!
Thirdly, take these well-known carols with good content and soaring descants and work hard to bring the truth to life.
Call together a special Christmas Choir and ask your best singers, who may not always sing on Sundays, to rehearse for five weeks to maximise this opportunity .
For a carol service, choose six or seven well-known carols. Add an oboe, violin or trumpet where you can. Practice two or three choir- or singing-group pieces dependent on skill levels. The Truth From Above has a good melody and a strong message. Getty and Townend have also written some good contemporary pieces.
If you have a good vocalist pick one special piece, placed near the talk. What Kind of Throne from Resound Music or Breath of Heaven by Chris Eaton have worked well in the past, but there are plenty of newer choices, like Reckless Love, although you’ll need to through the lyric and style – let the reader decide!
With fewer resources, you could use a spoken word piece. The point is: be imaginative! Visitors are not expecting professional standards, but they want to know, by taking these risks, if this truth actually matters to you.
Back in 1614 the famous bishop, Lancelot Andrewes, was preaching to the King of England on ‘Immanuel’. He said that the clue was in the name. ‘As El is the principal part of the word Immanuel, and stands for God, He puts us before himself. In the very name Immanuel, we read that we – immanu – are dearer to Him than Himself. He is the ‘with us God’.’ May this resonate throughout your Christmas music.
