I have a problem with Christmas Carols, I don't know about anyone else but I struggle with their messages. Yes there are some good ones, but very often the language defeats me; nobody speaks like that today!
Back to those messages; I refuse to use Away in a Manger- I don't see the stable or cave or whatever it was as a warm cosy place with Jesus neatly wrapped in clean white swaddling bands. I also don't believe that as a newborn Jesus did not cry; nor do I think that the underlying message of that ( crying is bad) is helpful in any way!
Next for the chop- Once in Royal David's city- really "Christian children all must be mild obedient good as he! " Yuck sentimental manipulative Victorian moralising!
The there are the carols that paint lovely snowy scenes for us and help to add to the myth that Christmas is all about snow and Santa!
So I find that I struggle- my Carol Services have a limited selection that I am happy to use, and I am not happy to allow old favourites to be sung when those old favourites cut across the message of the gospel!
OK; rant over, back to planning!
Health warning; there may be more rants because I find the whole mix of story, myth and fairy tale difficult difficult to unravel! So I'll leave you with this by Jude Simpson :