The Soundtrack of Our Souls: How Christmas Carols Can Reshape Us
There's an undeniable power in song. It gets into our heads, into our hearts, and ultimately shapes the way we live. This is never more true than during Advent and the Christmas season.
For the past few weeks, I've been basing my sermons on classic Christmas carols. It's been a revelation! These songs, many of which I've had memorized for years, are layered with meaning I never truly grasped until now.
Take, for instance, the recurring image of Jesus as the "day star" with "healing in his wings." It's everywhere in our Christmas songs, yet it was surprisingly limited in my personal theology. Sure, I knew Jesus could heal, and is healing the world, but seeing him as the one whose cloak could just barely touch me and make the whole world and all my problems better—that was a small part of how I actually lived out my faith.
This experience has driven home a crucial point: what we sing can shape us. Whether it's the catchy pop tunes forced upon us by culture or the sacred songs rooted in the Word of God, the things we listen to, meditate on, and carry through our days profoundly impact how we live.
This was driven home in a fun way earlier this week. I was volunteering, packing food for a program that helps kids facing food insecurity. We had recently watched Cinderella with Thea, and for the entire two hours, I had the "Little Dressmaker" song stuck in my head—you know, the one where the mice are scurrying and hurrying to make Cinderella a dress.
It was fun at first, but then it got old and repetitive. And yet, I couldn't shake it! That song shaped how I worked that day, pushing me to move boxes faster. Our entire team surpassed our goal of 300 bags, ending up with 545! It was a lighthearted illustration of a deeper truth: our internal soundtrack can profoundly impact our actions and attitudes.
So, what are the songs that are forming your soul? This time of year, it's easy to get swept up in songs about family and gift-giving, which are wonderful, but are we also immersing ourselves in songs about the wonder and love of God? It's not about being legalistic, it's about intentionally choosing the music that will steer our hearts towards gratitude, peace, and joy.
This Christmas Eve, a small choir from our church will be singing "Peace, Peace." As I've been learning my part, I have started to reflect on the peace of Christmas, a peace that feels elusive when I look at my own life and the world around me. But as a Christian, I know peace is real. Peace isn't merely the absence of conflict; it's the presence of everything we need. And we have that in God's provision, in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and in the death and resurrection of Christ. My hope is that by Christmas Eve when we sing that song, I will, in some small way, be able to truly rest my heart and mind in the fact that we have peace.
How about you? What can you do to direct the soundtrack of your heart this Christmas? How can you choose songs that will help you rest in the peace, love, and joy that this season is truly about? Let's allow the beautiful truths embedded in these carols to reshape us from the inside out, guiding us towards a deeper understanding and experience of the wonder of Christmas.
Let's sing together, and let those songs shape us into people who reflect the love and peace of Christ.
Singing With You;
Pastor Tim
