18
Dec
2010

Derek Thomas & Ligon Duncan Lectures on the Songs of Christmas

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18 Dec 2010

One of the burdens of a minister’s heart is to bring his people to a place of thinking about the theology of what they are singing, and to sing them with a mind and heart, filled with grace, to the Lord. In 2004, Derek Thomas and Ligon Duncan gave several lectures on various, well-known Christmas hymns, at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS. These lectures are quite unique, in that they give the cultural, historical and theological backgrounds of both the hymn, hymn writer and composer of the tune to which the lyrics were set. These should be required in seminary for men preparing for the ministry:

Derek Thomas God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

Ligon Duncan Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Derek Thomas O Little Town of Bethlehem

Derek Thomas Silent Night, Holy Night

Ligon Duncan Good Christian Men Rejoice

Derek Thomas Away in the Manger

Ligon Duncan Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Derek Thomas It Came Upon the Midtown Clear

Derek Thomas While Shepherds Watch Their Flock By Night

Ligon Duncan Thou Who Was Rich Beyond All Splendor

Ligon Duncan Joy to the World

About Post Author

Nick Batzig is the senior pastor of Church Creek PCA in Charleston, SC and an associate editor for Ligonier Ministries. Prior to serving at Church Creek, Nick was a pastor at Wayside PCA on Signal Mountain, TN. Formerly, Nick served as the founding pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Richmond Hill, GA and as the editor of Reformation21 and the Christward Collective--sites of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He frequently writes for Tabletalk Magazine, Reformation 21, He Reads Truth, and the Christward Collective. Nick was also the host of East of Eden, a podcast devoted to the Biblical and Systematic Theology of Jonathan Edwards. You can friend him on Facebook here and follow him on Twitter @nick_batzig

2 Responses

  1. Matt Holst
    Reply

    Nick

    I have given a number of Sunday schools on “favorite hymns” of the faith, and they have proved extremely valuable to all involved, or so it seems. Delving into the theology of some of the wonderful wordsmiths of yesteryear does precisely what good hymnody should do – enable the worshiper to worship in a more enlightened manner.

    I would commend this to every church – an habitual study of that which we sing!

    Thanks

    Matt

  2. Bob McDowell
    Reply

    There also needs to be some analysis of why certain hymns (and many contemporary songs) have theology which precludes their being appropriate for worship services.

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