Did you sing “Hark! How All the Welkin Rings” by Charles Wesley this Sunday?

Neither did I.

This phrase was the original first line of the hymn we now call “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” “Welkin” refers to the heavens or sky. When evangelist George Whitefield republished Wesley’s hymn in a new collection, he changed the line to “Hark! the herald angels sing.” It wasn’t until 71 years after the hymn’s initial publication that it reached the form we know it today. I suspect Wesley would have liked to live in an era with copyright protection, so others couldn’t edit his hymns quite as freely!

What goes through your mind leading up to a big church service or event? It can be easy to get lost in the details, forgetting the big picture. Here are some of the half-truths that can run through many worship leaders’ minds (including mine) leading up to big events.

• This is a performance, and I need the performance to be good!

• This event reflects greatly on me, our ministry, and our church.

• Souls are in the balance. This needs to land with emotional impact so that people hear and believe.

Did you know that the most popular Christmas carol was not originally written for Christmas? Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts as a paraphrase of Psalm 98. This Psalm is a call to praise God for revealing his righteousness, faithfulness and salvation in the sight of all the nations. Watts published these verses in his Psalms of David Imitated, in which he recast the Psalms in light of Christ. The song is most clearly about Christ’s second coming, the time when he “rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness.”

When does the Christmas story start? Matthew helps us understand Jesus' identity by tracing his earthly lineage to David and Abraham (Matt. 1:1-7). Luke rewinds all the way back to Adam, who was the son of God (Luke 3:23-38). John goes back even further, teaching us about his identity as the second person of the Trinity who forever was with God, and is God (John 1:1-14).

It's both easy and challenging to plan for Advent & Christmas services. It's easy in the sense that most people are happy to sing their favorite carols. As long as the musicians don't do something that obscures or messes up the carol, people will enjoy it and be edified by the words. But it’s also challenging because we tell the same story each season and we want things to feel fresh.

While the word “thanks” does not require an object in the English language, theologically it is like a transitive verb—it requires an object to complete its meaning. Just as you cannot simply "give" without passing something along to another person, you cannot truly give thanks without directing that thanks to someone. To attempt thanksgiving without addressing the source is like speaking in an empty room.