Scriptures: Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 84 or 84:1-8; Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a; Matthew 2:1-12
Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema
Welcome to the eve of Twelfth Night, the day before the 12th day of the Christmas season. At twelve days, Christmas is the shortest season of our liturgical calendar; it’s also packed with more tradition, emotion, mystery, wonder, anticipation and joy than any of the others. There are many elements that contribute to our feelings about Christmas, but I think the most universal element is music, especially spiritual music like the tunes we find in our hymnal.
The music and lyrics of most of the carols we know today were written in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, although some come from earlier times and some from the 20th century. The oldest Christmas lyrics in our hymnal were written in the late 4th century! Many hymns were adapted from popular folk tunes and paired with sacred lyrics. They are easy to sing over a range of voices; they have pleasant harmonies and can be played on a variety of instruments. The lyrics are based on familiar gospel passages, stories and themes, and are easy to remember.
Why do Christmas hymns and carols appeal to so many people from cultures and faiths across time and space? For example, Silent Night has been translated into at least 330 languages. The tradition of singing special songs in winter dates to pre-Christian times, when it was used to help boost morale and community spirits during dark winter days. In Reformation England, hymn singing in public was banned at times from the late 16th century up to the early 19th century, so the practice of singing hymns went underground, which we now know is an excellent way to ensure the survival and growth of a tradition.
Many people hold to the belief that Christmas hymns should only be sung in the season of Christmas, which has led to the practice of carol singing in church services and gatherings on Twelfth Night before putting the music away until next year. So today, for the next 10 to 15 minutes, everyone here can choose the Christmas hymns you would like to sing one last time during this Christmas season. Listen to the music and feel it tug at you. Pause over the words and let them settle into your heart and soul and mind. A word of caution, however – you never know when a Christmas hymn might sneak its way into one of our services in another season of the year. That might be a way to keep the season of ‘Yes!’ alive and well at St. Peter’s.
Thanks be to God!
Enjoy listening to Ben Maton - The Salisbury Organist - performing the Greatest Christmas Carol Ever Written... Banned From Church!. Click on the link below for this YouTube video.