By the Rev. Dr. Ed Hird

 

When I was fifteen years old, my friends and I went Christmas Carolling door to door to raise money for the Vancouver Sun’s “Stocking Fund”. We were an unlikely bunch to be Christmas Carolling. My best friend was a self-professed atheist from a family of atheists.  My other two friends were Jewish, and I was a lapsed Anglican who skied on Sundays at Mount Seymour. We vigorously sang the Christmas Carols and raised a lot of money. But I for one, never stopped to really listen to the words.

I have always loved Christmas Carols, but I find that year after year, the carols become more special and meaningful to me. I no longer just love the familiar tunes. I love the words as well, and the Christmas message behind it. Webster’s Dictionary defines a carol as

 

A song of joy, rapture or gladness; as, the carol of birds

A hymn of praise, especially in honour of the Nativity (birth of the baby Jesus).

The word “carol” is derived from the Medieval Latin “chordula” which means a dance to the flute. The word “carol” can be broken into two original Greek words: choros = dance and dulos = flute. I cannot think of a better word to celebrate my joy at the birth of the “Lord of the Dance”.

What are your favourite carols? O Little Town of Bethlehem is a popular one. Other favourites are O Come All Ye Faithful, Away in a Manager, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Joy to the World, Silent Night, We Three Kings, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks. Many of us, whether we are active churchgoers or not, can sing a number of these from heart.

 

My challenge to each of us this Christmas is to listen more carefully to the words as we sing. For example, “O Come All Ye Faithful” encourages us to “O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord”. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” has us singing “O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today”. “Away in a Manager has us singing “Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay close by me forever, and love me I pray”. And finally the very popular carol “Joy to the World” has us sing “Joy to the World! The Lord has come; let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room.”

 

My prayer for Christmas  is that as many seekers once again sing their favourite Christmas Carols, the words will jump from the pages into their hearts.

 

The Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, BSW, MDiv, DMin

-previously published in the Deep Cove Crier/North Shore News

-award-winning author of the book Battle for the Soul of Canada

P. S. Click this Amazon link to view for free the first two chapters of our new novel Blue Sky.

“I’m afraid there’s been an accident…”

Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.

Sandy receives shocking news that her children aren’t safe, which brings back haunting memories of the trauma she experienced as a girl. Then, the unthinkable happens…

A brutal attack puts Sandy on the brink of losing everything she’s loved. Her faith in God and the family she cherishes are pushed to the ultimate limit.

Is healing possible when so many loved ones are hurt? Are miracles really possible through the power of prayer? Can life return to the way it was before?

Blue Sky reveals how a mother’s most basic instinct isn’t for survival… but for family.

If you’re a fan of Karen Kingsbury, then you’ll love Blue Sky. Get your copy today on paperback or  kindle.

-Click to check out our marriage book For Better For Worse: discovering the keys to a lasting relationship on Amazon. You can even read the first two chapters for free to see if the book speaks to you.

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-The sequel book Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit is available online with Amazon.com in both paperback and ebook form.  Dr. JI Packer wrote the foreword, saying “I heartily commend what he has written.” The book focuses on strengthening a new generation of healthy leaders. Drawing on examples from Titus’ healthy leadership in the pirate island of Crete, it shows how we can embrace a holistically healthy life.

In Canada, Amazon.ca has the book available in paperback and ebook. It is also posted on Amazon UK (paperback and ebook), Amazon France (paperback and ebook), and Amazon Germany (paperback and ebook).

Restoring Health is also available online on Barnes and Noble in both paperback and Nook/ebook form.  Nook gives a sample of the book to read online.

Indigo also offers the paperback and the Kobo ebook version.  You can also obtain it through ITunes as an IBook.

To receive a signed copy within North America, just etransfer at ed_hird@telus.net, giving your address. Cheques are also acceptable.

-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca 

Indigo also offers the paperback and the Kobo ebook version.  You can also obtain it through ITunes as an IBook.

-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca 

To purchase any of our six books in paperback or ebook on Amazon, just click on this link.