Worship Notes

Hark! How All the Welkin Ring! and other strange Christmas texts.  Our Christmas carols are some of the oldest hymns that we still sing and, as such, are often filled with rich theological meaning, although sometimes with words not familiar to us.  Sometimes, modern lyricists have updated the words to make them more friendly to modern singers, but something is always lost.  I bet you’ve guessed by now that Hark! How All the Welkin Ring! became Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!  In the modern version (updated in 1758), we imagine Angels singing to the newborn Christ child.  But in the original lyrics, a Welkin Ring provides the imagery of a raucous, loud cry of celebration in the night sky – the difference is louder, filled with a cacophony of sound. 

Pastor Justin and I were discussing this week some of the other grand Christmas carol texts, specifically O Come, All Ye Faithful, which contains this rarely used verse.

True God of True God,
Light of Life, eternal
Though He abhors not the Virgin’s Womb
Word of the Father, Begotten not Created

God, in the person of the Son, willingly came to die for us (abhors not the womb).  He also is one with the Father and not a created by Him, (Begotten not Created).  So much theology packed into just one verse.

As you sing, watch and listen for these amazing lyrics.  It’s amazing what all we from our Carols.

Chris

Don’t know one of the songs we’re singing?  Check them out here:

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
https://youtu.be/xa5O6EnJtLk?si=5h9hrLjfXHmzZ3Dv

Sing We the Song of Emmanuel
https://youtu.be/xbG78Ky7TA8?si=tutJjnYAzyTBd_jy