Ahh, Research!

I'm taking a bit different angle with this week's Bible study tip: If you enjoy examining different viewpoints of various doctrines, check out the Counterpoints series published by Zondervan.  I really enjoy the setup of this series, because it allows for an esteemed theologian from each major Christian take on the issue to write essentially a very long journal article, and at the end of each such article, the other theologians whose views are presented in the volume write responses critiquing that view.  Bear in mind it is somewhat "heady" writing, not the simple style of "Christian Living" books, but neither is it chock-full of theologese.  I own two books from this series, "Two Views on Women in Ministry" and "Three Views on the Rapture."  Other topics covered in the series include the Canaanite genocide, the issue of once saved, always saved, and church government.

For this week's song, we're officially breaking into Christmas carols! :-)  Enjoy "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," sung by Nat King Cole:



The complete lyrics to the song (rarely sung in their entirety) are:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing ye dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray:

Refrain:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:

Refrain

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
A left their flocks a feeding
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightaway,
This blessed Babe to find:

Refrain

But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this infant lay,
The found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:

Refrain

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface:

Refrain

For a brief history of the song and an explanation of its lyrics, click here for the Wikipedia article.

If church choirs singing Christmas hymns to organ music is your thing, then here's an awesome version of this song.