Christmas Carols

The Christmas Star

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When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11 KJV

The story of the wisemen did not begin with who they were – it started with a star. The Bible explains that, while they were still far away, they saw a star. Now, we don’t know if God spoke directly to them, or if they learned about it by reading the Hebrew scriptures, but they believed that this star signaled the birth of a miraculous king. Then they made the biggest decision of their lives and left everything behind to follow the star. Where the wise men came from remains a mystery, but who they were going to see is known around the world. In a similar way, some of us come from broken homes with difficult or even dangerous circumstances. Others have been born into families with every need provided and are eager about our future. But whatever circumstances of where we are from doesn’t matter to God. He sends a star so that anyone can follow, if we choose.

Those wise men of long ago, also came with a purpose of which they were not ashamed. “We have come to worship Him.” they told everyone, when they arrived in Bethlehem. They weren’t bothered by the fact that there was no palace for this king. Instead, they humbly offered their gifts, bowed before the King of Kings and worshipped at His feet. Today, though the wise men have returned home, the Christmas star still shines and can lead anyone who will follow it to Bethlehem. There at the manger, Jesus still welcomes both wise men and wise women, who have come to worship Him!

Jesus Loves to Hear us Sing!

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I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. Isaiah 46:4 NLT

A few Christmases ago, as we were singing “Silent Night!” at a nursing home; a soft unfamiliar voice began to join us. When I turned to see who it was, I was shocked to see it was a 103-year-old lady, who had never even spoken a single word over the entire year during which she had been wheeled into our services. Then, it occurred to me that some of my other friends there could no longer remember where they were or how they had come to live there. A few had forgotten their children’s names and one or two, could not even remember their own. Yet, the miracle was that as we sang Silent Night; most had no trouble remembering the words as we lifted our voices together in worship.

As those last notes faded away, that experience made me remember that what mattered was not about how smart any of us were, how much money we had in the bank or where we lived. All that really counted in the end, was that we mattered to God. God has promised to carry us, not only during our years of beauty and youth, but even through white hair and failing memory. His love is an eternal and unchanging commitment, and even when everyone else forgets us, Jesus will carry us for a lifetime: and no matter when we were born or where we are living, He still loves to hear us sing to Him today! 

Christmas Caroling in Review

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How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 
Isaiah 52:7

You might not think your feet are beautiful, but God does, when you share the good news of Jesus! And no time that is easier than at Christmas as well as the best time of year to do so in nursing home ministry outreach. Doors that have been either closed, or somewhat restricted to the gospel for the rest of the year, crack open just a little in the month of December. Though it is getting close to the holiday, it is still not too late to consider a last-minute Christmas caroling, gift giving or other special program in your community. In our experiences this year with three Christmas outreaches to different senior communities around our area we found some valuable lessons that I hope will be of help to you.

  1.  Preparation – Yes, spontaneity is wonderful and just grabbing a guitar and heading for the nearest nursing home might work, a little planning doesn’t hurt a bit. Though I know by heart most of the music and lyrics, I do sometimes struggle with second verse and recalling what key a song is in. Multiply that by the number of folks in your group and you will find that creating a set of song sheets for your people makes for a much happier and more confident caroling experience. We also include handing out, hand-written cards to every single person, and this year that was well over 200 people. That requires, enlisting volunteers to help buy the cards, write the cards and hand them out. I also have found it best to get our spot on the calendar a month or more in advance, but if you haven’t already done so, don’t despair. Ask the activity director at the home you are considering visiting what spots are still available and jump on whatever is left. What may seem chaotic to our schedules is often in God’s perfect timing!
  • Presentation – We are going into homes to sing about Jesus and share the most amazing and important story in all of history. How we share the good news, needs to be beautiful, not just in the musical quality but also in a joyful outpouring of our love for Jesus. People need to be reminded that God has not forgotten them, that they are precious to Him and loved by others. Ask God to give you ideas on how to express His grace to others in practical ways. One of our volunteers came loaded with a hundred candy canes. After being told that we couldn’t share them with the residents, they came upon a large Girl Scout troop coming In after us and those kids were delighted to take them off our hands! They may not remember any of our names, but they went home with a sweet impression of our group!
  • Follow Up – How you follow up after the holidays can either give affirmation to the message of the gospel or cast doubt on how true it is. What we sing about during the Christmas season, must be followed up with service throughout the year. If weekly visits are not practical, try bi-weekly or even once a month. Every time you return, you are saying, “You matter to God, you matter to me, and we are here for you with the news that no matter what happens, our God reigns and He loves you!”