Christmas brings with it the sounds of carols, choruses, and songs that we hear every year. Whether you turn on the Christmas music before or after Thanksgiving, chances are, you\u2019re going to hear \u201cFeliz Navidad\u201d at least 40 times, \u201cJingle Bell Rock\u201d at least 81 times, and \u201cSilent Night\u201d at least 400 times. Merry Christmas.<\/p>\n
When it comes to your Christmas worship service, we aren\u2019t recommending \u201cJingle Bell Rock,\u201d but here are ten time-tested, well-loved and long-awaited songs that you should definitely put on your Christmas service song list.<\/p>\n
1. \u201cJoy to the World\u201d<\/strong> Because of its cheerful and familiar melody, this song is perfect for opening a Christmas service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. \u201cO Come All Ye Faithful\u201d<\/strong> \u201cO Come All Ye Faithful\u201d is a song that helps to set a worshipful Christmas atmosphere in your service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3. \u201cSilent Night\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n \u201cSilent Night\u2019s\u201d meditative melody and worshipful feel make it the perfect hymn for a candlelight service or closing song.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4. \u201cO Holy Night\u201d<\/strong> Many churches choose to have their musicians and congregation sing this song in a responsive way. The verses lend themselves to a soloist performance, while the chorus can be sung by the congregation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5. \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d<\/strong> The melody and words of \u201cO Little Town\u201d make an ideal children\u2019s song to add to your Christmas service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6. \u201cAway in a Manger\u201d <\/strong> The song is one of tenderness and thoughtfulness. Nearly everyone is familiar with both melodies and the words, making it a great song for a Christmas night service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7. \u201cAngels We Have Heard on High.\u201d <\/strong> This is a rich and meaningful song, and makes the perfect addition to a Christmas celebration.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are hundreds of contemporary Christmas carols that are sung in many churches. These songs are perfect for worship bands or special music. Many churches choose to sing the old familiar ones for congregational worship. Since many visitors choose to attend Christmas services, they can participate easier when the songs are well known. Whatever your plan for Christmas, you can\u2019t go wrong with these much-loved Christmas carols for church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christmas brings with it the sounds of carols, choruses, and songs that we hear every year. Whether you turn on the Christmas music before or after Thanksgiving, chances are, you\u2019re going to hear \u201cFeliz Navidad\u201d at least 40 times, \u201cJingle Bell Rock\u201d at least 81 times, and \u201cSilent Night\u201d at least 400 times. Merry Christmas. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4153],"tags":[727,750,765],"class_list":{"0":"post-11073","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-worship-resources","8":"tag-christmas","9":"tag-christmas-carols","10":"tag-church-worship-service"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/12.5.13-4Ms560.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIt\u2019s hard to get any better than \u201cJoy to the World,\u201d which was written by Isaac Watts in 1719. Even though it\u2019s getting close to its 300th birthday, the song is still powerful, relevant, and soaked with theological truths. \u201cJoy to the World\u201d is based on Psalm 98, and not only rejoices Jesus\u2019 coming to earth as a baby, but also his return to earth at the end of the age. The song is one of pure joy, as it praises God for his kingship, his redemption, his truth, and his grace.<\/p>\n
\nAnother very old Christmas song, \u201cO Come All Ye Faithful,\u201d is also known by its Latin title, \u201cAdeste Fideles.\u201d It may have been written as early as the 13th century! The song is particularly meaningful because it invites us into the act of worshipping Christ, the King of Angels, as if we were part of the group who saw him in Bethlehem after his birth. This song, too, is filled with solid theological truths \u2014 Christ\u2019s virgin birth, his sonship, his love, and his identity as the Word of God.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s hard to think of a Christmas service without the singing of \u201cSilent Night.\u201d The history of \u201cSilent Night\u2019s\u201d writing is itself a gem of Christmas storytelling. On Christmas Eve in 1818, a priest and organist collaborated to come up with the song \u2014 \u201cStille Nacht\u201d \u2014 and it was first sung in Christmas Mass the next day. Every Christmas since that snowy night in 1818, Christians around the world have sung the carol, which has since been translated into 140 languages. During Christmas celebrations during the terrors of World War I, soldiers in opposing camps sang the song together as they observed the birth of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cO Holy Night\u201d is one of the most popular songs for vocalists to put on their Christmas recording. The familiar arpeggio and sweet melody make it a much-loved song. But the words of the song itself are like a sermon all their own! The song begins by lamenting the world\u2019s sinfulness, and ends with a triumphant shout of Christ\u2019s victory over sin. The truths of the song are even applied as we are encouraged, \u201cTruly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother; And in His name all oppression shall cease.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nPhilip Brooks, an Episcopal minister from Philadelphia, wrote this Christmas carol in 1868. The words for the song were inspired when Brooks visited Bethlehem in 1865. On his trip, he attended a Christmas Eve service at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This event was so moving to Philip Brooks that the words it inspired are sung today. Brooks wrote the song to be performed by a children\u2019s choir. Phrases like \u201cChildren pure and happy \/ Pray to the blessed Child,\u201d remind us of this.<\/p>\n
\nThis Christmas carol reminds us of the lowly origins of Christ\u2019s birth. Mary \u201cwrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger\u201d (Luke 2:7). Because it\u2019s such a familiar song, we usually sing these words without realizing how shocking it is \u2014 to place a baby in a feeding trough is surprising enough. To realize that this Baby was the King of Kings is even more shocking. The song reminds us that Christ was willing to come, to be born in squalor and poverty, and to sacrifice his life as the atonement for sins.<\/p>\n
\nWe may not know what it means precisely, but we all know the joyful sound of this chorus, \u201cGlo-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-ri-a in Ex-cel-sis De-o!\u201d (It means \u201cglory to God in the highest.\u201d) The carol tells the story of the Bethlehem shepherds who heard the very first Christmas carol ever sung \u2014 the song of the angels announcing Christ\u2019s birth. We, like the shepherds, are invited to \u201cCome to Bethlehem\u2026Come adore…Christ the Lord, the newborn King.\u201d<\/p>\n