Hosanna—Christmas

Which theological truths effective unforgettable music that's what you're in store for today on Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman Christmastime the Christmas carols are all around us and I think it's it's a wonderful way to introduce the gospel in a nonthreatening way to the world. I think we need to help those growing up understand the Christmas welcome to Building Relationships. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the New York Times best seller. "The 5 Love Languages" today, a husband-and-wife musical team join to lead us into the hands and perils of David and Barbara Lehman put together a fantastic resource for this festive time of year.

It's titled hosanna in Josie's humans and devotions for the Christmas season find out more at 5lovelanguages.com is broadcast originally aired last year just before Christmas so were coming back to it again this year.

I asked Dr. Chapman if it's true that his heart is to help people encounter the real meaning of Christmas.

You're right Chris you know I think sometimes a jingle bells in Santa Claus, takes over people's minds and ball for whatever was 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 bio 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 and devotions for the Christmas season.

I'm hold it 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 to do 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. We also believe 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 this Osama handles company that's what were doing excited about this book I think is going to help a lot of us of focus in on the heart of Christmas Barbara choir is singing so important. What happens when we sing together to good questions when I speak to Jan 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 hymnbook 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 beginning to people. We have a song to sing the very first him 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. 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 of Christ and God for our many churches have moved away from traditional films showing more contemporary songs what what are we missing by not singing the Helms that people been singing for hundreds of years. If you think of our song, Churches, what we generally say is like a photograph 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 that are alive today or singing or singing contemporary songs, but shouldn't we look at what the legacy was left for us by 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. I hear you saying we need the old and the new together yeah yeah certainly agree with that, there, 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 a lot of what Dave has just said 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 this is where 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.

Can 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 the sad thing of our world today is that when you ask many people what your favorite Christmas song at least 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 is all knows what you been naughty or nice. If you are nice and gives you a good gift in. 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 markable 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 lot years, a large Symphony chorus dollars and was around people of all stripes. Denominations are not probably majority nonbelievers and yet we would sing.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing a Christmas concert. What in the world think this is about to give them second birth. No idea 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 in extensive hymns and devotions Christmas. Find out more and five love languages.com will coming up the oldest Christmas him straight ahead is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the New York Times bestseller "The 5 Love Languages" .

If you want your pass program. Take an assessment of your love language for featured resource today.

Five love languages.com. It's written by David and Barbara Lehman. It's titled hosanna in extensive hymns and devotions for the Christmas season can find out more at 5lovelanguages.com before the breaker David Davis Wright Helms Christmas time. One of the carols that is meant a lot to you. One of my favorite carols in the book is probably the oldest text that we have come a century Carol number eight the father's love 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 let 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 all him anything made that was made in him was life like the light shines in the darkness and the darkness is not in verse 14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory, only son father's full grace and truth. Those words are mysterious when you read in a way and Carol. I think the score is that the father's love begotten of the world to be Alpha and Omega source of the things that are and few changes shall see evermore and evermore planks on chapter 12 · saw well paired with the words in the second verse has a spray Senate talking about that Mary has, by the Holy Ghost conceiving for the Savior of our race and to pay the world's Redeemer first revealed his sacred space. When I first thought that the children that I was teaching it just grabbed me in a way that in the manger. We had all of human history we have from the promises and the prophets in the history of Israel. Suddenly the promise 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 prophet. He held his arms and wanted to be called that sacrifice 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 and the children.

Brad that Scripture before it can John one where usually first grader and a second grader and his children would read that service of lessons and carols that we put together our Christmas program today. We agreed that we would sing that Carol is very moving and stunning moment, you divided this collection into three sections tells what they are and why you divided this way, what the Christmas season has three portions to let. And I think in America today. We think about Christmas day and Christmas is one day of the year, but in the Christian year.

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 were remembering the long way that Israel had waiting for their Redeemer, 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 Christian year 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 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 in 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 Tiffany. 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 all 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 the part of the Christmas story where we can. That includes us, and I left teaching children every year as we go through those the 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 a more beautiful way. Those two seasons Christmas. I'm guessing a lot of us who did not grow up and move towards a group of churches really have never really sense of what you just walked us through the activity epiphany. That is 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, usually use the term Christmas carols, but your column.

Christian films what's the difference there really a lot of those with the distinction Carol is not necessarily sacred song other people call jingle bells Christmas Carol. Maybe as Christians we wouldn't 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 sacred text text about so that's what they are to their both okay so we have a choice Christmas sales 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 by association. It's called once in a while David city. It was written by an Irish women's hassle. Alexander, who started going riding hard to carry 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 Royal David's city for the departed decree that says born of a virgin 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 wanted 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 because Alfred Lord Tennyson to say that was one of the few poems by himself 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 for college stars and each year it begins 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 due, 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 is 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 at Capella unaccompanied to begin the service and the most poignant point of service to me with 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 take this on all of the story. This is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, our featured resource today is an extensive hymns and devotions for the Christmas season find out more at 5lovelanguages.com you can also hear podcasts to today's program or see when Gary's coming to your area for seminar and you can find out more about our guests David and Barbara Lehman just got a five love languages.com. This is Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the New York Times bestseller "The 5 Love Languages" were talking to David and Barbara Lehman today about hosanna in extensive hymns and devotions for the Christmas season find out more at 5lovelanguages.com you give us a visual picture of a student young student maybe first grader, saying a cappella first so we got this picture and arm were seated there with these 1200 people read that stands again.

Let us all experience the truth about which the shelves happily 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 that because I want our listeners to get a feel for what this devotional book can really for them individually as well as for for the family give us another Carol. The story about one that when it was written in would never been sung 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 click the authorship of anonymous because they didn't want to be censored by the church to guess as to what the Carol is so we don't know exactly when it was the precise date of somewhere in the 1800 and joy to people Christmas Carol but it was way too much joy for Scrooge 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 rescue and 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, pray, old tidings of comfort and joy to pillars that the songwriter we need in our lives is comfort and joy so it's a great song to take.

We always try to do some purely strapping 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 and 6 feet apart while they soon were outside. Absolutely no Barbara noted to have a heart for those who feel intimidated about singing with others public gathering or maybe sometimes the family feel like I can't sing well known, so they're there to represent what would you say to those people say that I miss saying to get the song to all people, and every person that can speak 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 that. Oh you don't want to hear me saying and I would like to say to them. Oh yes, I would like 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 and talent he 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 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 you're a 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 may be missing a note here there you would just say God bless them. I'm glad there's 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. Talk 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 sing it. Although we do believe it's founded hundred and 45 modern it was written in the late 1600s and by person who was trying to people against some of the doctrines of the Catholic Church and 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 and the grace, forgiveness, and so we just felt it was not easy choosing which ones we stopped at 43 because we wanted to do one every day beginning Sunday four weeks before Christmas day through January so that's how we came up with 43 tried personal wells and so forth, and we were able to include a few of these. This is building ships with Dr. Gary Chapman again resourced today by David and Barbara Lehman. Hosanna in extensive hymns and devotions for the Christmas season. You can find out more at 5lovelanguages.com thanks for joining us today for Building Relationships with 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 and devotions for the Christmas season threatened by our guest, David and Barbara Lehman. Also the music you hearing throughout the program is from a recording.

David and Barbara produced 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 as usual 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 isn't 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 that we remember that first of all that Jesus Christ is coming were still waiting and when he comes, he will choose people.

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, not singing all the time in our homes.

We want to be singing and we want to be sending story saying what else is going to take her eyes off of what we could just saturated with this whole entire hear about the bad as I think that that said, 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.

I know around the country haven't been going to church, that would be my simple answer is an example from the book how this might be well familiar to a lot of people, but it was written in the city Germany which is near the check in Polish quarters probably around 1638 German pastor who was living all 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 pretty bad today. I'm sorry it's nothing like during the 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 probably who are is well with joy joy beyond all Christ has done away said all sorrow and refining for the son of grace. First is in the music that was rewritten to hopes to be defined like few humans just rises with the encouragement. It's the prayer Jesus garden guy told him, with boundless grace, hear their prayers for him to flame growing numbers of Christians far near holy peace. Glad to hear that it's a great 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 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 that is all based on the same thing but I love Joy to the world the Lord is come first.

I love the Lord is not that he has, he has come so that eternal presence is this is a Christmas Carol next season because there is 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 taught, referring to the first coming taken from Psalm 98 where I sing to the Lord a new song is probably our salvation. The Lord has made known his nation build his righteousness in the sight of the nation 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 of us on that day. We look around us and 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 our hope that we look for the end of this year at the beginning of next year. That's always a favorite for me to sign any time 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 sounds and to single well I think the easiest way is to get a copy of recording.

We put all 43 hymns recorded at least 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 them and sing with them. If you get a copy of this recording which is taught by the way, USB card so we can see these you can down load or stream of modified, but it's limited to 7086 spaces or songs on so the best way to USB plug it 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 had to get a song where we talked about before God is one that I really love while the pastor and it's called worship. Slightly melt, 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 lightening 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, Barb. It's been great to have you with us today. All 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 encouraged our listeners to take advantage of this like you that are privileged to be able to 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. What a great resource that you want to pass along to your children and your grandchildren. David and Barbara Lehman have written Hosanna in Excel 6 hymns and devotions for the Christmas season find out more at 5lovelanguages.com and the music on today's program is available as well. Both instrumental and vocal Hosanna.com.

We hope you've enjoyed broadcast from one year ago coming up next week final program of 2021. On Christmas day we have something special for you along with the questions and answers take you to a celebration in North liner that happened to miss it Christmas big thank you to Steve Weick and Janice Todd for their work behind the scenes, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman's production of Moody radio Chicago association with Moody publishers ministry of Moody Bible is thankfully