Today is about how to make your Chistmas mighty... more than just merry. Collins looks at the lyrics to the Christmas carol, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
In looking at the meaning of words and how they differed in the Middle Ages than they do now, you can see that the meaning behind this carol is easily lost. The English meaning for the word rest meant also make and keep. “The composer’s charge was for listeners to let God make a change in their hearts and minds about the good news found in Christ’s birth and life.” In Old English, merry could mean happy, but it was also often used in the place of the word mighty. When you look at it that way the name of the carol becomes, “God keep you mighty, gentlemen”. Pretty cool huh?
We can chose to make our Christmas mighty. We are called to invest our gifts from God. The best way to invest the joy we experience from God is by letting others see joy in our actions. "The light that is created by the joy of the season.... is found in the knowledge of not just Christ's birth, but also his life." The best way to share this is through our attitude. Smile, whish people a “Merry (or mighty) Christmas!” “If we live this Christmas season recognizing the power of the message of Christ, it will show in every facet of our lives. When you fully embrace the mighty message of the season, the light you set aglow with your joy will become a blazing beacon to others.”
The tip for today is to light a candle or oil lamp each day as a reminder of our potential to be a light in a dark world. I just got a brand new cinnamon bark candle from Method home at Target. I’m gonna light it tonight!
Mighty Christmas to all!
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