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With grateful hearts, we share our thoughts on redemption through Jesus Christ and His saving blood and what it looks like in our daily walk.

We gladly welcome your comments and input.
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AND since we hold our conservative values dear, we might have a thing or two to say about politics... and we can almost guarantee it won't be politically correct.



Monday, December 8, 2008

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Everywhere we go these wonderful days of December music is playing streaming the story of Christmas. Now, more than ever, it thrills my soul to hear the name 'Jesus' being proclaimed from speakers in malls, restaurants, gas stations, radio stations and outdoor walkways.

Music has the power to reach deep into the soul of the listener. God created it to glorify Him and as a mighty tool to help His children connect more deeply with Him. Like every other thing He created there is a counterfeit. So much of what is popular and applauded in the industry is just that... a counterfeit to what God intended. When the music that goes into our ears penetrates to our soul it can affect us in ways sometimes that is not easily identified. The effects can be to our benefit. Or not.


Hearing the tunes of Christmas helps us remember that our country really was founded on Judeo Christian values. In a time when so much of the airwaves is filled with happenings contradictory to those beliefs and principles it gives me great satisfaction to visit secular environments listening to words that give glory to the birth of My Dear Savior!





Note: Not that I'm a big fan of Carrie... I couldn't find the version I was seeking. Once you get past the introduction the message is worth a listen!

13 comments:

Jane said...

Ahhh...the memory of singing "Do You Hear What I Hear?" each year at the all choir concert at church. It was always the finale...every choir on stage singing.

I do enjoy hearing all the Christmas carols this time of year...especially those that as you said proclaim the name of Jesus. I can still remember walking through a store several Christmases ago when I was in China and hearing Silent Night over the loud speakers. I remember wondering if anyone, besides me, really understood the words, the meaning, or what the purpose of Christmas was.

I find myself wondering the same things this Christmas. However, I know there is no language barrier. No on dictating everyone's beliefs.

Me, I'll continue listening to my 6 1/2 hour Christmas playlist in iTunes! Which does contain Todd Agnew's version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Meems said...

mjm, your recollections of China are most interesting. That must have been very remarkable.

I, too, wonder the same thing. Actually there probably is a bit of a language barrier. If folks don't have 'ears to hear' they probably don't understand the language of "the meaning of Christmas".

I haven't hear that version. I was actually listening to Third Days cut when this post was inspired. I'm going to check out Tom Agnew's. And let's all say huge Cheers for i-tunes playlists.

Anonymous said...

"Do You Hear..." is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Along with "O Holy Night" (Meems does a great version of that song) and "Mary, Did You Know," "Santa Baby," and "Baby, It's Cold Outside." (Not sure if that last one qualifies as a Christmas song, but it's still on the list!)

Anonymous said...

you know, Carrie did a very decent job on this song! I always love watching this live show from Rockerfeller Center every year!
like you, meems, i am always thrilled to hear the carols broadcast from thanksgiving to christmas day in every store and mall. the idea is to stimulate people to start their buying, and to keep buying long after they have finished their gift list! so i feel that people don't really pay any attention to the words. they associate it with the "season" of the year where they are stressed to the max! not many of us take the time to "rejoice", or to "God rest, you merry gentlemen"! it is kind of like preaching the gospel - not everyone has 'ears to hear', as meems pointed out! but still, the thing i am most glad of is that there is that freedom to keep on blaring those carols, and to not be censored from playing songs about Jesus Christ! with all the political correctness in the world today, i wonder when that will become the next liberty taken away! let's cherish this while we may!

Meems said...

a.m. Oh Holy Night is actually my all-time favorite in the traditional list... maybe that's why I sing my own rendition so well... tee-hee... I can only really perform it when you sing the first line and I follow that up...

Baby It's Cold Outside definitely isn't Christmas but it's a fave winter song!!!

Pilgrim, We better enjoy it while we can because everything is changing. It is a wonder Christmas music hasn't been politically correctisized... it will be a criminal shame if it ever comes to that. But then again that's what I thought about an ObamaNation.

marmee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Meems said...

Marmee, What a sweet thing for you to link me to. Beautiful!

I surely pray Celine is with us in heaven to sing forever glorifying the King of Kings with her pristine God-voice!

marmee said...

thanks meems, i pulled it coz i would like to be able to actually post her on comments, is that possible? also i don't know how to do it to the blog either. it always just has the link. i want to do what you did on this post.

i can't believe o holy night is your favourite, it is my all time fave too. i love it.

i love how at christmas people do seem to be of one mind in so many ways.

Meems said...

Marmee, I think I commented back to your e-mail and didn't realize you had deleted the comment. confusing I know. Sorry.

I don't think you can put a video in a comment so putting a link in is all you can do.

However, a quick phone tutorial will get your video into your blog. Happy to help with that if you give me a ring tomorrow.

Imagine you like the very same carol out of all the thousands to choose from... we must be twins.
:-)

Jen said...

just wanted you to know that I stopped by and that I still LOOOOOOOVE your site! Wish I would read it more...!

Anonymous said...

This is so weird. I have to admit I have been slacking lately. I hadn't even read this post. I came on here to post something almost identical to what I just read in your post. Hard to believe I know. I love hearing this music in all the secular places and venues, and hearing these secular singers get up and sing what could be described as nothing short of worship songs to our Savior. The song I was going to post the lyrics to was O Holy Night. We sang it our Christmas service this past Sunday and it was amazing how it sounded in a worship environment. It really struck me at that point that others were hearing it all over our country and singing it without much thought, but as you said music has power and was created by God.

A quick youtube search had a who's who of singers singing this song in every venue imaginable. I love this time of year when America is permeated with signs, music and celebration of our Dear Savior's birth. Even if some are trying to stop it, and the true meaning is lost on many. It is still a great time to remember that wonderful gift, and I have to believe it effects more people than we know.

The lyrics.

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly 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.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Anonymous said...

And now having read the comments, I see O Holy Night was an appropriate choice.

Meems said...

Jen, Thanks for stopping by ... you have a busy life so anytime you manage to take a peek is good with us.

NT, It's official. We all LOVE "Oh Holy Night!" That's pretty amazing, too, that you were thinking along the same lines and were going to post about it. These are busy times but SO important to keep our perspective of why we celebrate.

I imagine this time of year could actually be the only way some people actually hear the gospel preached... through song. Like you said, whether they know it or not, their spirit is hearing it and I believe reaches out to the message since we were all created by God and there is a place inside of each of us that longs for our Savior. He is so merciful He will get the message out in any possible way.

I could listen to these words over and over and over...
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.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees...


Thanks for reading, NT, and for adding your valued comments.