One of the few times when Shari and I have had the privilege to sing in a choir – a Christmas choir, in this case! Ten years ago today – 2015. At a public evangelistic event. We had already had a “dress rehearsal” concert at an appreciation dinner for church leaders in Mexico City. The director was our friend Becky Muñoz.
Just click the picture for a bigger and better view.
It is a song of contrasts, so maybe it’s natural that its origin should also be one of contrast.
Unusually, the tune for this Christmas hymn was taken from a secular song. Dating way back to the 16th century, the original song is still known today as Greensleeves.
Greensleeves refers to a lady who rejects the singer of the song. The man is trying to convince the lady to love him again.
Alas my love, ye do me wrong,
A new Courtly Sonet, of the Lady Green sleeves. (1584)
To cast me off discourteously:
And I have loved you so long,
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight:
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but Lady Greensleeves.
The song became extremely popular, even being mentioned in Shakespeare more than once. In The Merry Wives of Windsor, a character notes that Greensleeves would have no business being connected to a religious song:
But they do no more adhere and keep place together than the Hundredth Psalm to the tune of “Greensleeves.”
The Merry Wives of Windsor
In other words, Greensleeves and a Psalm mix together like oil and water, or fire and ice. Going together like chalk and cheese. They don’t.
It may be shocking that Greensleeves became even more famous in the future as a Christmas hymn, but there was a lot of history in between. Apparently, the haunting tune quickly took on a life of its own, early on being used for various holiday songs.
So after 300 years, the tune was a holiday tradition, with or without Greensleeves herself. And that’s when William Chatterton Dix sat down and wrote the words:
What child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the son of Mary.
The poetic description imagines shepherds guarding the Baby. The Bible actually says very little about what they did, except that they searched for and found Jesus.
And like many Christmas carols, this one can be excused for saying that the angels “sang”, a term the Scripture doesn’t use.
But the contrast is there immediately – the heavenly angels, the rough shepherds, a tiny baby – but the baby is the Messiah, the Christ, the Chosen and Anointed long-awaited One – the King!
And so our response is to come quickly to bring Him “laud”. Laud means praise, especially to sing praise. We don’t praise Him because of the angels, or because of the shepherds, but because of who He is – a baby, and yet Christ the King.
What Shakespeare would think of the tune with the new lyrics, I don’t know. But maybe it’s appropriate – a common tune used to praise the uncommon Baby. Somehow it seems to fit the message.
I’m not going to take the time to tell you about all of our whirlwind adventures in Canada. But let’s just say that it was an extremely busy, but also very good time!
We had the opportunity to serve in 6 churches in Alberta, get some paperwork and other errands taken care of, attend a conference, and spend some time with family and friends.
Of course if you get our newsletter, you already know about the most notable news from our visit – an engagement! In case you missed it, here’s the note right from our letter.
No doubt there will be more news to come on that topic! But I can tell you that we’re looking forward to a wedding in the spring. 🙂
Our trip home to Mexico was somewhat eventful, due to a cancelled flight. We ended up travelling for almost 24 hours to get from Calgary back to Ixtapaluca, unexpectedly visiting San Francisco along the way, but God was good and we arrived – even with all our luggage, which boarded more airplanes than we did!
We appreciate many of you who prayed for our trip.
And now, after being gone for a few weeks, we’re leaping back into life here. There’s lots to get done over the next little while. But Christmas is coming! So we’re hoping to get a bit of a break over the holidays if the Lord allows.
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, this is the 8th year that I’ve done a series about some of the great Christmas carols, Christmas songs. Why break the tradition now?
This song, like many, has some unusual roots. In fact, we might have to ask if William Shakespeare would be shocked if he knew how this one turned out. At the end of the 1500s and dawning of the 1600s, he pointed out the irony of – well, we’ll get into that later.
This is a shorter song, but still one with some profound truth about the birth of the Saviour. A question is asked, then answered, with awe and worship. The incredible paradox of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Do you know which carol this is? Well, next time you’ll find out!
Actually, we were at more than one wedding in November 2025, but the one we’re featuring today is the wedding between our friends Fabian and Tiffany! Has it really been 10 years? Happy Anniversary!
Ten years ago today, our friends the Brubachers were here visiting from Canada. Their family came down to help with music at our missionary conference, and also to do some worship music training with the church in Jesús María.
Here you can see at least two of the family, along with some of the musicians of the church, leading worship on Sunday morning, October 2015. Lee is on guitar and Cheryl on keyboard. Just click the image for a larger version.
