Music and poetry in the form of song play a significant role in God’s design for His glory and our good. God is delighted to receive His praise not simply from the words of our lips, but in songs—in words set to poetic form, and that to a melody. The beauty of God’s hand in the creation around us and in the creations borne from our own “Imago Dei” hands are meant to point us to our Maker.

Of all the Christmas traditions I love, my favorite by far is the re-telling of Charles Dickens’ classic work A Christmas Carol. I do my best to read this story every year but also try equally hard to watch as many of the film adaptations as possible. I never grow tired of the Victorian setting, the miserly Scrooge, the foreboding, ghostly visitations, or the final, radical conversion and thawing of a cold heart—and just in time for Christmas morning.

Did you know that Dickens named his masterpiece a carol because he intended it to be like so many of those songs of the Christmas season? In fact, each chapter is called a stave (a musical term) to press home that theme even further. Dickens wanted this story to function as a genuine Christmas carol—as a song to be repeated each year, carrying a reminder of the truths that it contains. So, the story of Ebenezer was one he believed should be retold every year, a helpful reminder to all mankind at Christmas of its true spirit and meaning.

This theme of remembrance is key to Dickens’ story. The name he chose for his main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is taken from the Bible, where Ebenezer is the unique name given to a stone monument (1 Samuel 7:12). It’s no surprise then, given his familiarity with the Bible, that Dickens would choose this name for the one he would describe in his story as one who was ‘hard and sharp as flint.’ Dickens would have us look to Ebenezer and remember the spirit(s) of Christmas—of peace on earth and goodwill to men.

As they were in Dickens’ day, Christmas carols can be an invaluable act of remembrance for our churches during the Christmas season. They are the holiday hymns of our faith, reminding us of the same story, year after year. The story of Christ’s birth is wondrous and wondrous to tell, but it also asks us to consider our part in the narrative. Who is this child, and why was he sent to us? As one carol puts it, “What can I give Him, poor as I am?”

Fellow pastor, I encourage you to consider the following four qualities of Christmas carols as you plan worship in the coming weeks and take note of a few carol suggestions along the way.

Christmas Carols Are a Rich Source of Biblical Theology

Christmas carols provide the church with a rich source of theology. Most churches spend the better part of each December dedicated to the story of Christ’s first coming. Explaining the profound truths of the incarnation—that God became a man—certainly deserves extra time to digest! But that is where Christmas carols truly shine.

Most carols rehearse the birth narrative, taking us back in time to the scene in Bethlehem. Even those who have never picked up a Bible can likely repeat the story of Jesus’ birth

simply from the musical memory they’ve unconsciously absorbed from Christmas radio stations, film soundtracks, and department store ‘muzak.’

Even though shepherds, angels, wise men from the east, and a newborn baby laid in a manger are the themes that proliferate this holiday season, Christmas carols also offer us a chance to peel back the theological layers of this significant gospel event. The reality of human suffering, the condescension of God in love, the requirement of sacrificial atonement for the forgiveness of sins, the fulfillment of ancient prophecies— these are just a few of the profound themes that Christmas carols can communicate with astonishing clarity.

So, while pastors may be wringing their hands in winter months straining for the topic of their next Christmas sermon series, might I suggest referencing a classic Christmas carol for some fresh perspective on this ancient story?

Carols to Consider: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, Of the Father’s Love Begotten

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