My family’s Christmas traditions don’t all involve hymns. Some involve humanist-leaning feel-good sing-along movies, time travel, jolly red-headed giants, heckling ghosts, and green frogs. Well, ok, only just one of them.
“Tis the season to be jolly and joyous!
With a burst of pleasure we feel it arrive!
It’s the season when the saints can employ us
To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive!”
Yeah, a bit humanist. Thankfully we know how to fill in the blanks.
I mean, sure it places a bit more emphasis on Mary than us Protestants tend to like, but it’s a good song! I can’t remember a time I’ve ever sung it in church, or at all. Can you?
“Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His belovèd Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem upon the morn
There was a blest Messiah born.
The night before that happy tide
The noble virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass:
From every door repelled, alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble oxen stall.
Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God’s angels did appear
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
“Prepare and go”, the angels said,
“To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
For there you’ll find, this happy morn,
A princely Babe, sweet Jesus born.”
With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God’s angel has foretold,
They did our Savior Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid,
And by His side the virgin maid
Attending to the Lord of Life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.”
At least Alison Krauss and Yo-Yo Ma know what’s up: