How disappointed would you be if all Christmas music were shelved this year? What song/s would you miss the most? What music inspires you--breathes new life into your soul, adds a spring to your step, and puts a smile on your faces despite a Bah-humbug day?
Rick Larsen said "Music is the backdoor to the soul." I think he meant that music can ably reach a part of us that words, example, and demands cannot. Music stirs us to loftier goals, energies, and dreams. Anne Lamott says she finally believed in the Christ because the music of a church she walked past beckoned to her. The music bypassed her hardened exterior built up by drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity. The hymns aimed directly at a softer nucleus.
So which songs of Christmas stir your soul, tickle your jolly bone, or makes you merrier than your circumstances?
Several are my favorites: "What Child is This?" "Mary did You Know?" and a couple of traditional English carols from the Renaissance era are "Down in Yon Forrest" with a refrain, "I love my Lord Jesus above everything," and I suppose a second runner up from that era for its spirited tune would be "Three Ships Sailing."
Do you have a favorite carol or song about the Christ Child or about the season such as "White Christmas" or "Jingle Bells." Leave a comment about favorite titles or personal stories connected to them.
It's a little early, but can you hear me now...."Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Tra la la la la laaaa...la la la laaaa.?
(Clip art from Surfdoggie.com)
