Christmas songs can bring special memories

One day I asked my dad what his favorite hymn was. It was a gentle prodding at a time when it became important to talk about funeral plans without specifically saying we were talking about funeral plans even though we both knew we were talking about funeral plans. He caught me completely off guard when he said, “Well, you know, I’ve always liked Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

My mom wasn’t a fan of Christmas, and both my folks had distanced themselves from church for a long, long time. I pondered his choice in my heart — was it his favorite because his father was named Harold, and so it was a great in-joke?

I later found out that the tune we use for Hark! today was originally composed by Felix Mendelssohn for a celebration to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of movable type printing. My dad had worked in printing — business forms, invoices, bills of lading — his whole life. Did he know the Mendelssohn story? Had he heard about it at a conference? Had he read about it somewhere? I do not know.

But this I do know: We sang it at his funeral, with other Christmas carols he’d chosen. His funeral was in a September. Most of the people gathered were not people who often went to church. But everyone could sing the hymns my dad had chosen for his funeral — they were carols as familiar as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And there was his favorite one, that referenced his family, as well as his lifelong work and colleagues.

My dad changed the way I understand Christmas carols. They are not just tidings of the season, but can serve as favorite hymns, shared by all kinds of people, and may often carry meaning beyond the familiar. So lift your voice and sing! May the carols of old continue to surprise you with connections and stories in new and delightful ways!

Pastor Sue Bahleda

Island of Faith Lutheran Church