Don’t Sing Christmas Carols Until You’ve Sung These Advent Hymns

It’s called Advent, people, and it’s crucial to our understanding of Christmas.

In Advent, we put ourselves in the place of the faithful who had waited generations for their promised King. Our four-week period of hope and expectation encapsulates the longing and yearning into which Jesus finally, miraculously arrived. Advent slows us down and restores our hearts and minds so that the heaven-born Prince of Peace can be fully born in our hearts once again.

People of God, take time to ponder anew the mysterious reality of the Incarnation. Allow yourselves to feel the emptiness, and allow it to be filled with joyous hope in the coming Messiah, through whom all of creation would be made whole. Christmas may come but once a year, but the discipline of Advent can allow the incarnational reality to take root in our lives, and to mold us and make us into the church we’re called to be.

I’ve heard a lot of talk recently of people doing their Christmas decorating early this year, saying they need the season all the more in this strange, extraordinarily difficult year. I can understand that. But I think instead of giving into the commercial trappings of the season, we need even more to allow ourselves to experience the beauty and discipline of the Advent season. Really enter into it, feel the paucity, pray and make room. We need Jesus more than ever, so start preparing.

Here are some hymns you should sing before you even think about the usual Christmas fare.