It's a great time of year to be a musician. Everywhere you go, people want to hear live music. They smile when they hear the songs, and often will sing along. And everyone wants to hear those amazing tunes we only get to sing once a year - The First Noel, Silent Night, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, to name a few.
But it's also a difficult time of year to be a musician. Everywhere you go, people want to hear live music, which means vocal fatigue, miles of snowy driving, sleep deprivation, and a constant fear of catching the latest strain of cold. And everyone wants to hear those same songs again and again - The First Noel, Silent Night, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing...
Don't get me wrong - I actually adore singing Christmas carols. I'm a total Christmas music geek, knowing all the songs and the stories behind their creation. But by the time you've sung Away In A Manger for the 20th time in a month, some of the magic can fade. Nobody means for it happen, but it's a long season, and we all get tired, and our minds drift as the music and lyrics flow from muscle memory.
Between concerts, worship services, corporate events, private parties, and community celebrations, many musicians are performing up to 20 or 30 times this month. But as Christian musicians, this should be seen as an amazing ministry opportunity. In a society ruled by political correctness and a neutering of faith expressions, we actually have the opportunity to sing the Gospel this month, in public! In fact, it's welcomed!
The best carols are a perfect blend of melody, poetry, and theology. They are filled with a promise of peace and life. They sing of Love that passed all natural and supernatural barriers to join us in this broken world. This is the story that changed the course of human history, and continues to change lives - mine included, and I hope yours too.
And this is message we get to sing.
Over and over, we get to share the message of Emmanuel, God With Us, with folks who are tired in their faith, who are struggling with problems beyond our imaginations, or who have never even heard of Jesus.
Imagine if, through our drifting off, they missed that message?
So when you're singing yet another rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful or Joy To The World, take a moment before the song begins to glance over the lyric. Recognize the amazing hope you're about to share, and then...
sing it like you mean it.
Please leave your thoughts in the Comments section below.
And don't forget to check out our FREE shipping,
FREE gift-wrapping special on all CD purchases!
Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page & visit us every Wednesday!