O Come All Ye Faithful - Derek Charles Johnson
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
O sing all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God
All glory in the highest
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Hallelujah Jesus is born
He’s the Savior of the world
We rejoice with saints and angels
Come and worship and adore
Yea Lord we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Publishing: © PerfectTree Music
Writers: C Frederick Oakley, John Francis Wade, Derek Charles Johnson
An interesting thing happens every year around Christmas. We get inundated with the sights and sounds of the season and even though we know it’s coming, it’s always remarkable to see how our culture transforms. Certainly there is a lot of tradition that goes along with Christmas: the tree, the presents, the stockings, Santa, et al…it’s all gotten rolled up into the greater experience. Admittedly, many of these things have nothing to do with Christ’s birth but they come with the whole package. It’s always a challenge for me personally to cut through the noise and recenter and refocus each year on the true meaning of Christmas.
I didn’t set out at the beginning of this year to release a Christmas single but I’m so glad it happened. My producer Jay Speight (Bottle Rockit Productions) and I sat down in August with the intent of brainstorming some ideas for creating a bridge to new music in 2019. I currently have 3 songs fully recorded, mixed and mastered and am in the process of getting that new music out to the masses (prayers are GREATLY appreciated!). We kicked around a few ideas and then Jay mentioned “What about a Christmas single?” I thought at some point it would be cool to do a Christmas project…but I was really intrigued about just doing a simple, one-off single this year. I was all in!
So here we are; I released a version of O Come All Ye Faithful roughly a month ago (a little early, I know!). I wanted to circle back and tie this song specifically into the “More Than A Song” series. I’ll be honest: I love Christmas music. I don’t really mind how early it starts before Christmas...and it’s getting earlier and earlier. That being said, I do pretty much shut it off once December 26th hits. Not trying to be a Scrooge, but something in my mind flips and I start gearing up for the new year and what is ahead. But Christmas music often and early right through the 25th? I'm all in. 
I actually put a lot of thought into Christmas and the whole story as it builds up each year. I always try to be ready and it seems like every year, it gets easier and easier to drown out the reason we celebrate and focus on smaller, lesser things. I’m not saying those other things are unimportant. I’m just saying if I’m not careful, I’m easily distracted by the latest gadgets, the feasting, and the trimmings that pop up in December.
O Come All Ye Faithful was an intentional choice for a Christmas single because I have a deep attachment to the song. Not to sound cliche, but as a former church worship pastor, I always put this hymn in somewhere during the month because it re-centers me in a way that many other things do not.
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
That refrain calls out to me. I know we sing it to each other and in a church setting, we want others to “buy in” spiritually; meaning they stop and worship. But guys, I’m singing to my own spirit and my own soul as much as to anyone else. In the hectic, fast-paced world which presents itself larger than life at Christmas, do we stop and simply adore Him once again? Do I get it? Do allow my spirit to say once more, “God above all else, I adore You. I thank You for sending Your Son to dwell among us. I thank You that by Jesus coming into the world, His death and resurrection brings me life.” 
I imagine as we sing some of these songs around Christmas, we are partnering with the throng of saints in Heaven and the angels. Just as the Heavenly choir sang out 2000 years ago, we revisit and walk in their steps again. We put ourselves in a posture of absolute worship and abandon to this God Who would descend from His throne and come to us in the form of a lowly babe. “Born this happy morning, Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n!”
I don’t know what it is for you during Christmas that brings you back into the place of discovering Jesus’ birth and its significance. Maybe it’s a song. Maybe it’s sitting down and reading Luke 2, the passage of the Nativity. Maybe it’s just going simple and stripping away some of the things that you know trip you up and distract you. Whatever it is, I urge you over the next few days and weeks to find that thing and hone in on it for awhile. Be silent in His presence and consider again His entry into the world. Why did it matter thousands of years ago and why does it still matter today? 
In closing, I want to do something this year that for me is a landmark that I believe helps me grasp the meaning of Christmas more fully. Here’s the challenge I’d like you take and if you do it, please let me know. This move I believe is led by the Holy Spirit and I want to share it with you: Take a notecard or a piece of paper and write down 1 word that helps you consider what Christmas is. It might be the word peace. Perhaps joy. Love. Humility. Just a word that you can put in your pocket, stick on a dashboard or your mirror…anywhere you’ll come across it regularly and keep coming back to it. If it ties into a Bible verse, awesome. Connect that word to a verse and study and pray over it.
Here’s my word: ADORE. I believe for me this year, I need to adore Him. I need to get that word into my heart and my spirit. Whenever I’m distracted, I’m not adoring Him…I’m adoring something else. Find that word for yourself and I pray that it brings you great meaning and comfort during this time.
I love you guys! Thanks for supporting this blog and appreciate you checking out O Come All Ye Faithful…your feedback and encouragement over this single has been especially meaningful to me!
Let’s connect:
Email: info@derekcharlesjohnson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekcharlesjohnson1/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/derekcharlesjohnson
Other "More Than A Song" blogs:
Leaning In by Carrollton
I Wanna Go Back by David Dunn
Endless Alleluia by Cory Asbury
Confidence by Sanctus Real