Hosanna In Excelsis - David and Barbara Leeman

Rich theological truths set to unforgettable music. That's what you're in store for today on Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman Christmas on Christmas carols are all around us and I think it's a it's a wonderful way to introduce the gospel in a nonthreatening way to the world. I think we need to help those grown-up children understand welcome to building relationship. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the New York Times best seller.

The five LeBlanc today, a husband-and-wife musical team join us to lead us into the hands and perils of David and Barbara limu put together a fantastic race best years titled Hosanna and asked Josie Humes and devotions for the Christmas season find out more the website. Five love languages.com and here we are very less than a week Christmas and I'm guessing your heart is a pastor is to really help people encounter real meaning of what we celebrated Christmas, you're right Chris you know I think sometimes a jingle bells and Santa Claus drugs over people's minds and ball for whatever you know is joyful but the most enjoyable thing about Christmas is the birth of Christ do know so the more we can do to focus people on that.

Yeah I think that's what every pastor every Christian really desires. David and Barbara Lehman are both graduates of by old University school of music. David's retired director of music and worship. Barbara has taught music at a private Christian school in Texas. Together they wrote and published Hosanna, loud hosannas, which is a student hymnal that's widely used in churches and Christian schools and homes are featured resource today, though, is there book Hosanna annexed Chelsea's hymns devotions for the Christmas season. I'm holding in my little hands right now it it's such a great resource to find out more about it@ 5lovelanguages.com welcome to Building Relationships. Thank you so much great privilege review and Barbara have created a company and a website called Hosanna hymnals.com tell us why you started that endeavor. We have always believed that the greatest is what we offer to God the finest best of anything. Possibly that music and so Chris mentioned a moment ago some years ago we put together a book for students of all ages, but it's a list of the hundred and 15 hymns that include the biographies of the author and composer devotional about it. Schools have used them as their primary book for chapel. A lot of homeschoolers use it now, two years ago we felt we needed you want to just Christmas comes and so that, along with the student hymnal has formed Osama handles company that's what were doing excited about this book.

I think it's going to help a lot of us of focusing in on the harder Christmas Barbara choir is singing so important what happens when we sing together to really good questions when I speak to you mom's first grade month every year teaching and why. Thinking is important why music is important. First thing I think is because the court to God, take your take your Bible and open it to the middle and you will find the largest book of the Bible there called the Psalms. It's basically handbook right in the middle of the Bible were written to be found or not. It's not just poetry there Psalms to be found in praise to God, so God has given us this huge amount of poetry and beauty to praise him. So that's why it's important.

Number one, number two, I tell them that it's important that we sing because we are meeting people. We have a song to sing the very first hymn recorded in the Bible is the book of Exodus. After crossing the Red Sea and the people had left their enemies behind and they were rejoicing. The first thing they did was saying, I will sing unto the Lord for he is trying gloriously the horse and rider thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my patient that is our son. We are redeemed people. So it's important that we say that we sing together because it creates a solidarity. The family becomes united to generations become united the hymns that we have chosen across the nomination also nominations become united in one voice and praising God for our attention.

Many churches have moved away from traditional films showing more contemporary songs what what are we missing by not singing the films that people been singing for hundreds of years. If you think of our song, Churches, what we generally say is like a full graph book history of your family by not singing the hymn to pulled up all the pictures of grandma and grandpa her great-grandmother and said we only want to see the people that are life today. There's nothing wrong with seeing the people are alive today or singing or singing contemporary songs, but shouldn't we look at what the legacy was left for us to people who wrote these hymns hundreds even thousands of years ago or so good, so such quality that we still sing them today asked that test of time.

So while we think we can sing all kinds of Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

According to the apostle Paul.

We wonder if we've left off many of the ones that really nurture us and feed us both on the Christian wisdom that people like Charles Wesley Isaac Watts and others bring to us but we really give only what's contemporary the priority and again nothing wrong with contemporary, not against that thing don't throw out that which has stood and served us into still teaches us today, and I hear you saying we need the old and the new together yeah yeah well I certainly agree with that.

Barbara you and David created a unique devotional for the Christmas season.

I wanted you want to show the reader about the songs that you chose think a lot of what Dave has just said that we want to bring them from the Christmas season.

Some of the greatest Christian spiritual poetry that's ever been written. We want them to, to learn, they songs are passed down to future generations and preserve them. Secondly, it is so difficult sometimes at Christmas time to focus on what's true and real moms are caught up. I raised four children and I remember the days I could hardly wait to Christmas was over. Just because it was so much work in so much stress and I think that's that's more and more.

There so I think that getting into these hymns and Carol said things together brings us back to what is true and what is simple and what is good and what is beautiful and the third thing is that I think children first hear about Jesus and understand Jesus at Nativity.

They relate to the baby and when we did our first hymnal. We started with the Christmas section because children start with Jesus as he told the child and in the manger growing up and also songs of Christmas carols are all around us and I think it's a wonderful way to introduce the gospel in a nonthreatening way to the world you give an example of a Christian Carol and give us some of the background of it so that our listeners get a feel for what you're doing in this book. Sure, even before I do that if I might like to what garbage is the sad thing of our world today is that when you ask many people what your favorite Christmas song list young people and children.

Jingle bells are coming to town. We really believe that this is needed to bring back into the hole. Some of the wonderful songs I think is John MacArthur so ironic that Santa Claus is become a Godlike character who all knows what you been naughty or nice. If you are nice. He gives you a good gift and body coal. I think we need to help those growing up in this culture today to understand there's a whole different issue Christmas and Santa is not God and so we we chose songs that not only talk about the birth but to explain the incarnation, because that's the doctrine that is so vital. We can't really believe in the resurrection, unless we believe in the incarnation God became man and so there's so many girls I could give you an example of the perhaps the finest one actually very popular Park.

The Herald Angels and it was written by Pastor Charles Wesley music by one of the finest composers in history. Felix Mendelson was so remarkable about the Herald Angels Sing is that it's filled with theology in Scripture that tells us what the incarnation was and that gives us the gospel veiled in flash the Godhead see the incarnate deity.

You know I Sanford number 11 years, a large Symphony chorus dollars and was around people of all stripes to nominations are not probably majority nonbelievers and yet we would sing. Hark the Herald Angels Sing Christmas concert. What in the world think this is about to give them second birth no idea what singing. They just happily sing it ready to but if you look at it as a believer and you study text you'll see so many quotations from Scripture that really helps people understand the incarnation and I think in families. As we sing songs like that and discuss them with their children. Whatever age they may be helping them understand the concept of God becoming man is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman. Our guests are David and Barbara Lehman authors in extent, hymns and devotions for the Christmas find out more in five love languages.com will coming up the oldest Christmas him straight ahead is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman on Times bestseller, "The 5 Love Languages" you want your pass program. Take an assessment of your love language or see our featured resource today. Five love languages.com. It's written by David and Barbara Lehman titled Hosanna in extensive hymns and devotions for the Christmas season find out more at 5lovelanguages.com Barbara before the breaker, David Davis, one of the great films at Christmas time.

One of the carols that has meant a lot to you speak you want my favorite carols in the book is probably the oldest text that we have century Carol number eight. The father slept the team name is DB new Mysterio divine mystery and makes the incarnation and the birth of Christ so mystical and so beautiful and I love it because it originates. John one in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God all things were made through him and without anything made that was made in him was life like the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. In verse 14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth. Those words are mysterious when you read and Carol. I think the score is that the father's love begotten of the world began to be. He is Alpha and Omega source of the things that are teaching you shall see evermore and evermore playing some champ in the 12th century saw well paired with the words and in the second verse has a spray Senate talking about. Mary has by the Holy Ghost conceiving for the Savior of our race, and that they the world's Redeemer's first deal to sacred space. When I first thought that the children that I was teaching it just grabbed me in a way that suddenly in the manger. We had all of human history we had from the promises and the prophets of the history of Israel. Suddenly, the promise was here and there with his face right before and not just explodes my imagination. I think of Simeon in the temple 400 years of silence, he was aware of her from the prophets, and yet he held his arms and wanted to behold that sacred face and what a blessed story that is in our Christmas chapel that we did every year my school. This was held a very special place. This particular song in the children read that scripture before it from John one were usually first grader and a second grader and his children were agreed that service of lessons and carols that we put together our Christmas program today would be that we would sing that Carolyn was just a very moving and stunning moment in our memories of that particular lot with with young children. It's wonderful you hope happens as individuals are our families go through this devotional together. Well, obviously we're hoping that they begin to love these that can feed their souls, their families pulls. We hope that it draws them together. Something about singing together that's unique. I never thought exemplified more than years ago after 9/11 when all of the copper stood on the steps of the capital and sang together. God bless America because the singing was important at this point it's almost indefinable, but it obviously drew them together that allowed the sales one.

This is how we feel right now and that's what we do with Christmas when we sing together church is a small group class or as a family draws us together and unites us and what we believe and what we think we should be doing about this time of year one of us are wishing I could still get on the steps and sing together to better cope. It might be like. That brings us together. Eventually, I don't know you, Barbara, you divided this collection into three sections tells what they are and why you divided this way past my portions to let. And I think in America today. We think about Christmas Day Christmas is one day of the year, but in the questionnaire. It begins for Sundays before Christmas with the word that means waiting or coming in for celebrating the wedding of the coming not only of Christmas that year, but remembering the long way that Israel had waiting for their and I think it's important that we remember that we teach our children and I have a little: again, back to my teaching days absent Christmasy Tiffany Lynch and Easter hallelujah and Pentecost that Christian year questionnaire celebrate the seasons of the Christian children learned that every year and help them help introduce the gospel story to the life of Christ children. I did not grow up in a liturgical church that celebrated the different seasons of the Christian year but I found that I could allow them as an adult when I understood that better when I understand the coming of Christ and waiting and lighting the calendars that brings great meaning and its dissipation to something besides opening presents on Christmas morning and Chris Christmas section and we call it in our book. We called to this. All the songs that section starts before Christmas, but they're all songs of the Angels and Nativity. The story of the birth and then after Christmas Day begins the season of Epiphany. I think this was probably the least known of the 33 sections of the three seasons of the Christmas year to last, and yet to me. It's wonderful because it is about the story of the three wise men coming out of the light. Light is assigned. Tiffany is a word that means I get it. I finally understand to me the lightbulb goes on and the lightbulb goes on. It is so amazing is that Jesus did not just come to the Jewish people.

He is right. He came for all of us. We are the ones we Gentiles are the ones who were afar off, and brought near so I think of Any it's totally appropriate for us to celebrate after Christmas because it's a part of the Christmas story where we command that includes ass and I left teaching to the children every year as we go through those various Carol, I want to make note to it that we have a section that describes a suppose in our book. We also placed poetry old English poetry that we found by Robert Herrick before the advent what sweet music can we bring that a Carol court to sing the text to sections of John Milton poem on Christmas morning we took selections from Matt to help, just add beauty to the book describing the more away seasons of Christmas. A lot of us who did not grow up in liturgical churches really have never really sense the depth of what you just walked us through Epiphany. That's why think this book is going to be kind of a fresh light on the whole Christmas season for for many Christians who did not grow up in liturgical services so that your giving a great service just in those three things you and then focusing on those three things. Thank you, David will usually use the term Christmas carols, but your column. Christian Helms what's the difference there really a lot of what with the station. Carol is not necessarily a sacred song other people call jingle bells Christmas Carol.

Maybe as Christians we wouldn't the world that's what's for work Carol find something that's a little bit lighthearted and dance to it, but these songs in the book could be called carols, but we call them hymns because hymns are always sacred text text about so that's what they are to their boat. Okay so we have a choice Christmas sales or Christmas carols like the distinction because I think you're exactly right about give us another Carol and give us the story.

Again, this is a Carol by association. I love my Association. It's called once in a while David city. It was written by an Irish woman testicle Alexander who started going, writing poetry, bearing on and continue to write you a set of ponds to teach children the meaning of each of the phrases of the apostles Creed once in a while David city for the departed decree that says born of a virgin and light in a manger. One of the Virgin Mary and so begins with telling that's that sweet simple story. Another word about her that I just want to say is that I want us to remember that these people who wrote these were poets they were learning people, and this particular author. One time she want to call called the burial of Moses caused Alfred Lord Tennyson to say that was one of this coupon story just to say it elevates who were reading in the work. Why pay attention to these old dusty columns may be that we haven't thought about it a long time again the song is used in the lessons and carols service in King's College and each year and begin the service and several years ago at the encouragement of one of our parent school parents and board members Stephen Nelson I don't know if any of you are Stephen. He's a concert pianist to use to be part of the deal and he suggested to me why don't we do service of Charles and proceeded to help cheer put this together and also he want you to know that the recording we have Carol Stephen playing so you can sing as a family being accompanied by care to do that anyway. At the beginning of the service we have service starts with my great privilege every year was to choose the child that would learn the first verse and would sing Capella unaccompanied begin the service and the most poignant point of service to me was after beautiful prelude churches quiet probably thousand 1200 people sitting there all waiting.

One thing that waiting to hear small voice from the back of the room began a cappella and walked down the aisle singing to someone simple beautiful purse together alone and then we join on the second to me that was more moving than any Christmas pageant that you can never put on because it was a group of people and parents and student children joining together and seeing that wonderful story and waiting for that story was told once in a while David city stood allowing me to shed and it goes on to talk about Jesus as our child and I it takes us on all the stories. This is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, our featured resource today is hosanna in extensive hymns and devotions for the Christmas season find out more in five love languages.com you can also hear podcasts to today's program or see when Gary's coming to your area for seven and you can find out more about our guests David and Barbara Lehman just got a five love languages.com you give us a visual picture of a student young student maybe first grader saying a cappella.

The first song so we got this picture in arm, were seated there with these 1200 people read that stands again. Let us all experience the truth about which shelves happily while city stood allowing cattle where mother laid her baby in a manger. Mary was stepmother mild Jesus Christ. Her little child. I think all of us can feel that we could, we can see that trail singing it and we can see what the child is thinking about so because I want our listeners to get a feel for what this devotional book can really do for them individually as well as for for the family so they give us another Carol. The story about one that when it was written in the would never song in church.

The reason is considered much much too frivolous to happy they were Sauber severe celebration of worship. And yet it was probably used because the people loved it so much but no one claimed the authorship anonymous because they didn't want to be censored by the church to guess as to what that Carol is not so we don't know exactly when it was the precise date of somewhere in the 1800 and joy to people. Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol, but it was way too much joy for Scrooge. He rejected proclaim, but we think it's a wonderful song. It's a little bit more horizontal direction for God is really to encourage one another, God rest you don't think this will you remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day to save us from Satan's power when we pray, old tidings of comfort and joy to pillars that the songwriter we need in our lives. Comfort and joy. So it's a great song we always try to do some purely strap it on.

Christian families walk up and down our street singing songs like because we think it's a wonderful way to share Christ. Christmas this year instead of 6 feet apart probably soon outside absolutely no Barbara noted to have a heart for those who feel intimidated about singing with others public gathering or maybe sometimes even the family and I feel like I can't sing well known so there there to represent what would you say to those people saying to get the song to all people person that can speak can saying and I think that the culture has given us a different message telling us what our seniors and their listeners and I often have people say to me, all you don't want to hear me saying and I would like to say to them all. Yes I would love to hear you say and I think that the fact is people feel because of this performance mentality that we have had, which is really only been around the last couple hundred years before that everyone sang more. That was the only music you want to music you provided for yourself, but that performance mentality has given us a sense that were being judged by our singing and no one should ever feel judged by their singing, so I would simply encourage people even if you have a grown-up singing or you're not used to it just just try to get it out there.

I think parents of young children know that your young child can learn to say it's much harder as an adult little children can all learn to sing one of my vocations in life is to encourage people to sing thinking also if you're standing in the congregations and you happen to be a musician trying musician I hope and hearing the person next to you missing a note here there you would just say God bless them. I'm glad their singing. There's a song you included that I don't think I've ever heard. What is you include the song on Jordan's bike. The Baptist start talking about is talking about John. Part Christmas story because he was a four color of Jesus. I think he needs to have some recognition is true.

Very many people saying although we do believe it's founded hundred and 45 modern it was written in the late 1600s and by a person who was trying to teach people against some of the doctrines of the Catholic Church and only the first verse really refers to John the Baptist. From there on it goes on to explain the Christmas story mystery of the incarnation guides us through our part of the expression part of the book encourages the gift of grace by which without flowers) and then gone.

We know that the only way that her current social problems will be solved is the power of Christ. Grace, forgiveness, and so we just felt it was not easy choosing which ones should go.

43 because we wanted to one every day. Sunday four weeks for through January so that's how we came up with 43 tried to blow your personal wells and so forth, and we were able to include a few of these. Thanks for joining us today for Building Relationships.

Dr. Gary Chapman and thanks for telling a friend about the program to maybe you know someone who would benefit from our conversation you'll find a link to the podcast or stream. Five love languages.com you see the resource hosanna in extensive hands and devotions for the Christmas season, written by our guests David and Barbara Lehman. Also the music you hearing throughout the program is from a recording. David and Barbara produce instrumental music as well as vocal and you can find out more about that recording by going to hosanna hymnals.com that's hosanna hymnals.com this year 2020 unusual year and a difficult year for many, many, many people. Why should these Christmas hymns offer unique encouragement and guidance as we near the end of this year Christmas. It's basically a message of hope Christmas at the end of the story is the beginning and the end of the story.

We haven't experienced it were still looking forward to and I think it's important that we remember that first of all that Jesus Christ is coming were still waiting and when he comes, he will choose he will he will rule the world and that gives me a lot of hope. Also just thinking that during this time. So many churches are not meeting singing all the time in our homes.

We want to be singing and we want to be singing story saying what else is going to take our eyes off of what we can just saturated with this whole entire hear about the bad as I think that that's it. I think just because resource can use to fill our homes with with the singing and the story of the gospel truth of God in the story of Christmas when many of us are many of my friends that I know around the country haven't been going to church, that would be my simple answer is an example from the book will a lot of people, but it was written in the city Germany which is near the check, and Polish orders probably around 1638 German pastor who was living all of the people forward living during what is considered one of the longest and most struck wars in European religious 30 years war in which whole regions died of famine and disease, as well as the killing. We think we have it pretty bad today. I'm sorry it's nothing like doing 30 years war, Germany. But this man was able to encourage them to rejoice, listen to this text will rejoice. Christians loudly for our joy has now begun wondrous things are God, brought probably for race is against well joy joy beyond all Christ is way set all sorrow and refining for the son of grace firstfruits so far in the music that was written to hopes to be defined like few humans just rises with the encouragement of and it's the prayer the last Jesus garden guy told him with my boundless grace, hear their prayers for him to flame face growing in numbers. Christians far and near holy peace. Glad you integrate prayer for us right now and one of the reasons we chose 50 years ago. Yesterday Barbara and I were married. We had the song in our wedding because we loved it so much happen to know that it's also Chris's breach of the Lehman's celebrate together that God has given us great joy. Marriages we should all just saying that right now. Barbara give us another. These are exciting give us another example from the book well what all of us essays on the same thing that I love, Joy to the world, the Lord is come first. I love the Lord is not that he has come that he has come so that eternal presence is an this is a Christmas Carol next season because it's really no mention of Christmas per se. Carol is talking about the Lord coming but it's not talking about a manger or Angels.

I'm sure it is referring to the first coming that it's taken from Psalm 98 where I sing to the Lord a new song right is probably our salvation. The Lord has made known his nation built his righteousness in the sight of the nations goes on to talk about the mountains and hills have a nature saying that I think lots of wonderfully putting him, but it ends with Psalm 98, nine, for he comes to judge the earth, righteousness, and the peoples with and I think all on that day. We look around us and when we see who is willing in charge and will not King Jesus comes back and judge the world righteousness. He rules the world to and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and I think that again there's hope that we look toward the end of this year at the beginning of next year. That's always a favorite for me to say anytime of the year.

Every Christian longs for the coming of Christ David in the 43 films that are in this book we mentioned earlier that there are some of them, but people probably will not know what to learn the sales and to single well I think the easiest way is to get a copy of recording.

We put all 43 hymns recorded twice, one with voices mother and father and three children solid color patterns what family could sound like, but it also obviously teaches song and then right after that is that same song with the piano for you to sing along. Highly produced with orchestra my finger simple and so you can both learn and sing with them. If you get a copy of this recording which is taught by the way, USB card so we can many CDs you can down load or stream of bona fide but it's limited. They wouldn't give her 7086 spaces or songs on so the best way to be plugged into your computer. Whatever you use for you all do include a few of the newer carols in the book. Just tell us about one of those well I say we have to get a song their talk about before God is one that I really love by the pastor or Shepherd slightly knelt number 13 and I think what I love about it is today puts it sort of puts the poet into the sandals of the shepherds being shepherds lightning out word comment happily pilgrims start, but there is room and welcome there for me. There is that I live. How should I not have known Isaiah with this prophecy is fulfilled with pounding heart. I stare child, a son child assigned the Prince of peace for me to me that just says everything there he is in that moment again.

Isaiah all the prophecies that I've read about the Messiah. There they are in that state that major. It's good to know that there are some folks in our generation who are writing films that's powerful.

Well it's been great to have you with us today on Building Relationships.

Thank you for putting this together, nor grows out of your whole life, ministry, and it's very, very, very rich is going to help a lot of people. I think I'm incurs our listeners to take advantage of this that are privileged to be able share with your listeners and there were 43 other authors of this book is the value timeless. This book, thank you so much for inviting us one resource that you want to pick up every year and maybe pass along to your children and grandchildren, David and Barbara Lehman put together.

Hosanna in next Chelsea's hymns and devotions for the Christmas season find out more. Five love languages.com. Or if you'd like instrumental version for the focal plane throughout the program today. Find out more about that@hosannahandles.com again. Hosanna, hymnals.com and next week.

Your questions and comments from our list are final. Dear Gary broadcast 2020 Comes Your Way.

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