"Christmas" Hymns

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Romans922

Romans922

Puritan Board Professor
What are those hymns, typically associated with the Popish day of Christmas, which you find God-glorifying/honoring and which you find pagan, heretical, contrary to Scripture, or non-biblical?

If any problem lyrics/lines, please post them and tell why they are wrong.

Example: "We Three Kings" --> they weren't three kings. The number is not given nor were they kings...
 
Here's a good one:

[video=youtube;OQVQOW1c0DQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQVQOW1c0DQ[/video]

Okay, so it's not a hymn, but it is about the incarnation, and it sure is catchy!

Definitely not heretical since the words are pure Scripture. :)
 
'See amidst the winter's snow'

'In the bleak midwinter'

etc, etc

All imply there was loads of snow about.


AND NOW FOLKS FOR A SEASONAL JOKE....

What kind of pizza did good King Wenceslas order?

..

...

....

......

Deep pan, crisp and even!
 
This is not a hymn, but a popular song, which I hate. In "Santa Clause is coming to town" the part about seeing you sleeping, knowing when you are awake & being bad or good ascribes omniscience to an idol. :mad:
 
Even as an EP'er, I've always liked "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - until I finally listened to the lines that go:

Mild he lays his glory by,
(No, He never laid His glory aside!)
Born that man no more may die,
(No, He died in our stead, that those who were chosen from before the foundation of the earth would have His imputed righteousness and not die the death that they deserved!)
Born to raise the sons of earth,
(No, not if they stay "sons of earth," whatever that is.)
Born to give them second birth.
(No: again, He died so as to make a way for the new - and life-giving - birth for His chosen ones. This is Catholicism.)
 
My favorite


[video=youtube;GaxB0xEbO0c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaxB0xEbO0c[/video]
 
Last edited:
Montanablue said:
The entire Messiah is gorgeous. And a good deal of it is straight from Scripture.
Click to expand...

I listen to the Messiah all year long. It is worthy to be sung in my opinion. It is probably my most favorite piece of music. I never tire of it. And that is amazing. I am going to be 47 this coming February. I learned the tenor part in my freshman year of high school. I was 14. You calculate the years, that is a long time for some. I loved that piece even in my pagan teen years. I have loved it that much more since I became a Christian when I was 18. I have a score of it along next my Psalter on the organ in my house. No I don't have a hymnal on my organ. Go figure. I am not EP but think the church has strayed to far.
 
Messiah does tend to get stuck in your head. If Handel were around today he'd be a successful pop writer. Than man knows how to write a catchy melody that you don't soon forget. (But of course Messiah is much better than pop music).
 
Who's got a beard that's long and white?
Santa's got a beard that's long and white.

Who comes around on a special night?
Santa comes around on a special night.

Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who wears boots and a suit of red?
Santa wears boots and a suit of red.

Who wears a long cap on his head?
Santa wears a long cap on his head.

Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who's got a big red cherry nose?
Santa's got a big red cherry nose.

Who laughs this way:
HO HO HO?
Santa laughs this way:
HO HO HO!

HO HO HO, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who very soon will come our way?
Santa very soon will come our way.

Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh,
Santa's little reindeer pull his sleigh.

Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
HO HO HO, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa, must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.

Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
HO HO HO, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa, must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus!

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/media/videos/must-be-santa

The Bob Dylan version has all of the right nuance, rare aesthetic flair, and theological depth to move even Ebenezer Scrooge himself to remember key portions of Calvin's Institutes and the intricate logic of Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology.
 
O Come all ye Faithful and inparticular the verse that goes

God of God
Light of Light
Lo He abhors not the virgin's womb
Very God
Begotten not created

The whole off Nicea in 5 lines.

-----Added 11/25/2009 at 04:24:06 EST-----

On the other side, anything to do with snow, trees and sentimentalism.
 
Galatians220 said:
Even as an EP'er, I've always liked "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - until I finally listened to the lines that go:

Mild he lays his glory by,
(No, He never laid His glory aside!)
Born that man no more may die,
(No, He died in our stead, that those who were chosen from before the foundation of the earth would have His imputed righteousness and not die the death that they deserved!)
Born to raise the sons of earth,
(No, not if they stay "sons of earth," whatever that is.)
Born to give them second birth.
(No: again, He died so as to make a way for the new - and life-giving - birth for His chosen ones. This is Catholicism.)
Click to expand...

I don't quite follow your reasoning, Margaret. Is there something else in the hymn that raises a red flag or would make you take the phrases this way?

Couldn't Mild he lays his glory by, be taken in the sense implied in John 17:5?

Born that man no more may die, could be taken in the sense of pointing out that His incarnation was necessary for redemption, rather than as stating that it was sufficient. If He hadn't been born it would have been very difficult to die!

Born to raise the sons of earth, I'm inclined to take in the sense of 1 Corinthians 15:47,48.

Born to give them second birth sounds like it's taking John 3:4 as "born again" -hence, a second time- rather than "from above" but I'm not sure why that would be unorthodox: whatever may be the best translation of John 3:4, if you are born "from below" and "from above" you have obviously been "born again".
 
DMcFadden said:
Who's got a beard that's long and white?
Santa's got a beard that's long and white.

Who comes around on a special night?
Santa comes around on a special night.

Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who wears boots and a suit of red?
Santa wears boots and a suit of red.

Who wears a long cap on his head?
Santa wears a long cap on his head.

Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who's got a big red cherry nose?
Santa's got a big red cherry nose.

Who laughs this way:
HO HO HO?
Santa laughs this way:
HO HO HO!

HO HO HO, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who very soon will come our way?
Santa very soon will come our way.

Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh,
Santa's little reindeer pull his sleigh.

Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
HO HO HO, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa, must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.

Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
HO HO HO, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa, must be Santa,
Must be Santa, Santa Claus!

Home Page | Bob Dylan

The Bob Dylan version has all of the right nuance, rare aesthetic flair, and theological depth to move even Ebenezer Scrooge himself to remember key portions of Calvin's Institutes and the intricate logic of Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology.
Click to expand...

I gave the youtube a listen. Makes me want to go Santa tipping:lol:
 
I actually like "O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fidelis)" which Dylan also does in his latest. Listening to him croak out the Latin is a real trip!

Adeste, fideles, laeti triumphantes;
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte Regem angelorum.

Refrain

Venite adoremus, venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus, Dominum.

And, despite some of the questions raised, "Hark the Hearld Angels Sing" is a favorite of mine.

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
 
Romans922 said:
What are those hymns, typically associated with the Popish day of Christmas, which you find God-glorifying/honoring and which you find pagan, heretical, contrary to Scripture, or non-biblical?

If any problem lyrics/lines, please post them and tell why they are wrong.

Example: "We Three Kings" --> they weren't three kings. The number is not given nor were they kings...
Click to expand...

Well, let me see. Since you've asked your question in all seriousness, and without any sarcasm...

The Little Drummer Boy
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
Here Comes Santa Claus
Rockin' around the Christmas Tree

In my house we'll be singing all these songs under our pagan tree while toasting Pope Benedict with a nice brandy.
 
py3ak said:
Galatians220 said:
Even as an EP'er, I've always liked "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - until I finally listened to the lines that go:

Mild he lays his glory by,
(No, He never laid His glory aside!)
Born that man no more may die,
(No, He died in our stead, that those who were chosen from before the foundation of the earth would have His imputed righteousness and not die the death that they deserved!)
Born to raise the sons of earth,
(No, not if they stay "sons of earth," whatever that is.)
Born to give them second birth.
(No: again, He died so as to make a way for the new - and life-giving - birth for His chosen ones. This is Catholicism.)
Click to expand...

I don't quite follow your reasoning, Margaret. Is there something else in the hymn that raises a red flag or would make you take the phrases this way?

Couldn't Mild he lays his glory by, be taken in the sense implied in John 17:5?

Born that man no more may die, could be taken in the sense of pointing out that His incarnation was necessary for redemption, rather than as stating that it was sufficient. If He hadn't been born it would have been very difficult to die!

Born to raise the sons of earth, I'm inclined to take in the sense of 1 Corinthians 15:47,48.

Born to give them second birth sounds like it's taking John 3:4 as "born again" -hence, a second time- rather than "from above" but I'm not sure why that would be unorthodox: whatever may be the best translation of John 3:4, if you are born "from below" and "from above" you have obviously been "born again".
Click to expand...

All points certainly to be considered, Ruben; I approached these lines from the perspective of a pre-Vatican II Catholic (which I once was) turned Reformed Protestant, and the whole Catholic baptismal regeneration teaching. Catholics who don't ever read the Bible cling fervently to the idea that just because Jesus was born, and just because they were baptized (and if they don't die with an unconfessed mortal sin) - then, His birth was enough to ensure their salvation. I'm around these people every day. :doh:

The day of death is better than the day of birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). But only for those of us who are born again, and certainly, our Lord's setting His face like a flint and going to a death He didn't deserve to give us an eternal home with Him was what secured our salvation. He could have done otherwise! :eek: To a discussion of John 17:5, I would only answer with Philippians 2:6 (KJV - sorry!).

About 75% of the people in the suburb I live in are liberal Roman Catholics; sorry if that made me a little "twitchy" regarding "Hark the Herald Angels Sing..."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Margaret
 
I can understand that, Margaret. I don't recall any particularly papist influences on Charles Wesley, so I'd like to hope better for him.
 
What do you guys think of the following. Some of these lines are wrong, some are questionable, some I have no clue the meaning. Any help, any opinions? (Joshua is not allowed to say, "yes there are some opinion, yes there is a possibility of help")





Angels We Have Heard on High – “See him in a manger laid; Whom the choirs of angels praise; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid; While our hearts in love we raise.”

Away in the Manger – “The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes; But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.”

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – “The which His mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.” AND anything else it says about Mary, this seems very RC.

Good King Wenceslas – THE WHOLE THING. Anyone tell me who St. Agnes is?

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – TALK MORE OF THIS ONE. “Mild He lays his glory by…”

In the Bleak Midwinter – “Heav’n and earth shall flee away; When He comes to reign.” AND “But his mother only, in her maiden bliss; worshipped the beloved with a kiss.”

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - ? Any here?

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming – “It came, a blossom bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night.”

O Holy Night – “Long lay the world in sin and error pinning; Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.”

We Three Kings – “We three kings of Orient are…”

What Child is This? – “The Virgin sings her lullaby: Joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the Son of Mary!”
 
Since I am not Joshua: "Yes there are!"

"Heav’n and earth shall flee away; When He comes to reign." <-- Second coming, heaven and earth shall pass away?
 
Good King Wenceslas is not a hymn, merely a carol--albeit one of my favorites.

Surprised these weren't mentioned:

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

What Child Is This?

Of the Father's Love Begotten

I'm willing to grant a bit of poetic license for Christmas hymns, with regard to winter, three kings, etc.
 
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