We are of course familiar with the image of ghosts of Christmas’ past thanks to Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ penned in A.D. 1843. Dickens points toward a morality of generosity during a great 19th century division between a well-off gentry class and the working poor. Even today his theme of the repentance of Scrooge convicts on a larger Common Era world stage where poverty is no less common.
My ghosts of Christmas Past include more than just Jacob Marley & friends. I remember when Christmas meant more than the sounds of shopping and included both worship and bells.
Many Christian families had opened paper doors on Advent calendars reading familiar Scripture from Luke, Matthew and Isaiah in anticipation of opening personal gifts to each other on Christmas morning.
So in these links and lyrics below I invite you to hear some of what I hear from long-lost ghosts of Christmas’ past. And if you listen to every brief song while reading the lyrics and Scripture behind such glorious Christmas carols you may discover that same moment of transformation as Scrooge after his visits by three ghosts he had never seen.
The Ghost of Church Bells
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Henry W. Longfellow, A.D. 1864 Scripture: Luke 2:13-14; Romans 5:1
Lyrics by Henry W. Longfellow, 1864 alt. and v. 5-7 by Harlan D. Sorrell
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play;
In music sweet the tones repeat,
“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’ unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Born the Prince of Peace
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor does He sleep,
For Christ is here; His Spirit near
Brings peace on earth, good will to men.”
When men repent and turn from sin
The Prince of Peace then enters in,
And grace imparts within their hearts
His peace on earth, good will to men.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Gospel of Luke 2:14 KJV
Christians who grew up during the mid-twentieth century will closely associate Christmas, Christmas carols, community fellowship of families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship with church bells celebrating the birth of the Christ child.
Yet LISTEN?
The CHURCH BELLS have been rendered silent —
stilled from praise of the CHRIST child of CHRISTMAS —
in the SILENT nights and darkness of these last days…
A glorious joyful to the world RINGING of BELLS which once called both faithful and repentant Christians to WORSHIP has long ago rusted into an artificially staged sound of ME with the world AND Jesus.
A Silent Night..
and joyful singing..
now lost in the White noise of Christmas’ past ..
budding in every hand and ear..
of a multitude of the walking dead.
Could it have been your own wanderings with so many lost souls
for whom the bells once tolled..
church bells which today remain ominously SILENT?
Christmas Carols at our neighborhood doors
What was it we once SANG at the doors of our neighbors?
You with ears to hear, LISTEN and you with eyes to see, LOOK at the lyrics!
Joy to the World
Composer: George Frideric Handel – German-British Baroque composer (1685–1759)
Author: Isaac Watts (1719);
Adapter: Lowell Mason
Published A.D. 1839 in The Modern Psalmist, Boston
LOWELL MASON, THE BANKER WHO DISCOVERED ‘JOY TO THE WORLD’
He crusaded for better music, and heaven and nature sang
New England Historical Society
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. 2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together 9 Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
Hark the Herald
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – READ graphic of all the LYRICS
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Christ by highest heaven adored..
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings..
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Jesus, the Creator Born to give us a second birth
And in despair I bowed my head
When men repent and turn from sin
The Prince of Peace then enters in,
And grace imparts within their hearts
His peace on earth, good will to men.
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Gospel of Luke 2:10b-12 ESV
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
Will you invite JESUS to be more than a ghost of your Christmas’ Past?
For Christ was born that you might be born again to the eternal life given only through Him because the Lord has died for our sins.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.