Make it personal

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your hearts to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19

When it comes to Christmas carols, I must admit that my feelings are rather mixed. I quite seriously dislike the ones that strike me as slushy and sentimental (“Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes”, for example: why…?), and likewise the ones that rest largely on traditions that have little to do with the actual events described in the New Testament (all that stuff about “sleepy cows and asses”, for example: who says…?).

But others I find very helpful, in fact I regret that we only ever sing them at this time of year. Especially, I appreciate those that retell something of the familiar story, and then, towards the end, morph into direct prayer; which, surely, can only be good.

An example is “As with gladness men of old /Did the guiding star behold…” It climaxes in this prayer: “Holy Jesus, every day / Keep us in the narrow way…”, a prayer which, surely, any sincere Christian can say Amen to.

Of course these poems are designed “for congregational use”, but I have found that, especially if I have become a little sluggish spiritually, they are good for personal use too. It’s easy to change the “we”s and “us”es of a gathered group to the “I”s and “me’s” of, well, just I and me. Doesn’t this, for example, constitute a beautiful and very meaningful prayer (notice the italics, please)?... “Holy Jesus, every day/ Keep me in the narrow way;/ And, when earthly things are past,/ Bring my ransomed soul at last/ Where it needs no star to guide,/ Where no clouds your glory hide.”

I’m not suggesting that we should focus too much on ourselves with our  songs and hymns – that, in fact, is a modern trend in church life which I find it hard to identify with – but there are times when our personal spiritual lives need something of a kick-start, and tailoring the words of a gifted song-writer to our own situation in the privacy of solitary prayer can be very helpful.

By the way, the man who wrote “As with gladness” was William C Dix (1837-1898). He nearly died at the age of 29, and was confined to bed for many months, subsequently sinking into depression. Yet many of his best known hymns date from that dark period. I don’t know when he wrote “As with gladness”, but I like to think that composing hymns for others to use helped him to pull through.

Another favourite carol is “O little town of Bethlehem”. The final verse, adapted for personal use in the way I have suggested, goes like this: “O holy child of Bethlehem,/ Descend to me, I pray;/ Cast out my sin, and enter in;/ Be born in me today./ I hear the Christmas angels/ The great glad tidings tell; / O come to me, abide with me,/ My Lord Immanuel.”

If you are of a pedantic frame of mind you might object that you are praying here for something you have already received (Jesus has long since “descended to me”, hasn’t he? he has already “cast out my sin” and “entered in” and “been born in me”). Well, yes, if you insist; but I don’t think there’s any serious inconsistency in praying such a simple, basic prayer. Don’t we all in fact need to come afresh to God day by day? And can’t we be confident that God understands us and doesn’t get impatient with us? He knows the true state of our hearts – hopefully, an honest yearning after more of him - and isn’t too worried about a little superficial doctrinal inconsistency!

I sometimes think that hymns and songs can be wasted on us when we sing them; might we not derive far more benefit from slowly and thoughtfully reading them, even in the context of corporate worship? Too often it’s just the tune that carries us through, and we barely notice the words which, after all, are what really matter.

I knew a wise pastor who adopted the practice of pausing before the singing of a song or hymn to allow individual members of the congregation to read the verses out loud. There was a kind of magic in hearing those four or five voices lifted up in turn to read – and I’m sure that, when the music started, the words were sung with far greater meaning and appreciation than usual. Lord, preserve us from mindless singing!

But whether sung or read, may the message of Christmas become alive  for us in these coming days. May our souls be “meek to receive him”… How silently, how silently,/ The wondrous gift is given!/ So God imparts to human hearts/ The blessings of his heaven./ No ear may hear his coming;/ But in this world of sin,/ Where meek souls will receive him, still/ The dear Christ enters in. Thanks be to God!

Father, thank you for the gift of music, for those who compose and play, and for those too who write words which are challenging, stirring and moving. As I sing Christmas hymns and songs over the coming days may my dull spirit be refreshed by the moving of your powerful Holy Spirit. Amen.