CHRISTMAS WHATEVER SONGS
Years ago there was a major push to have the word “Christmas” removed from this time of the year to “Holiday” Season & “Holiday” trees so as not to be offensive to those who weren’t Christians. In a sermon I titled, “Christmas Without Christ,” preached on December 17, 2006 at Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, I illustrated what it would be like if you substituted the word “Whatever” for the word “Christmas” in some of the most well known secular & Christian Christmas songs. But, Jesus is the reason for the season & because of the reason He came to earth, as I heard a preacher say a long time ago, “Every day I live is Christmas & every breath I breathe is Easter.
I’m dreaming of a white Whatever;
Why can’t every day be like Whatever;
I’ll have a blue Whatever without you;
Have a holly jolly Whatever;
In the air there’s a feeling of Whatever/it’s Whatever time in the city (from Silver Bells); Although it’s been said many times, many ways Whatever to you (From the Christmas/Whatever Song);
We wish you a merry Whatever;
Oh, Whatever tree, Whatever tree;
I’ll be home for Whatever; Have yourself a merry little Whatever;
I’m getting nothing for Whatever;
All I want for Whatever is my two front teeth;
A tender Tennessee Whatever is the only Whatever for me;
See what that would be like, but that is how many want to make it today. Make it whatever you want the holidays to be, just keep Christ out of it. Do you see how silly it becomes if we make this Happy Whatever time? There would be no songs of Christmas, only about Whatever.
There would be no seasonal songs of faith to sing many times each year at Christmas and never get enough of. They don’t get old. Without Christ in Christmas, there would be no “silent night, holy night” because we would not be celebrating the birth of Christ. There would be no “little town of Bethlehem.” There would be no “away in the manger.” There would be no “I heard the bells on Christmas day.” There would be no “joy to the world, the Lord is come.” Just think about it, about all we would have to sing would be Jingle Bells, which there’s nothing wrong with that song. We could sing Winter Wonderland. Maybe, Deck The Halls with bows of holly. There are very few songs we could sing. We would not have these great songs we sing at Christmas. Christmas without Christ there would be no “amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” I’ve heard that classic song of the faith performed at football games. Even people who aren’t Christians know the song. Judy Collins recording of it became Number One on the secular music charts in the 1970s.
A Christmas without Christ would mean there’d be no Amazing Grace. There would no “then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, how great thou art.” Just think about it. No “grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within.” There would be no Hymn book. We would not have the new praise and worship choruses. Christmas without Christ, there would be no Christ, there would be no Savior about Whom to sing. Christmas without Christ, there would be no salvation to consider. There would be no heaven to look forward to.
But, Jesus is the reason for the season and because of the reason He came to earth, as I heard a preacher say a long time ago, “Every day I live is Christmas and every breath I breathe is Easter. Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Jesus is, always has been and always will be, the answer for the world today.