The Spirit of Singing
By C.S. Bezas

It's Christmas time! Oh, what a charismatic time of year. And nearly everywhere we go, we hear Christmas songs.

I'll share a little secret. Sometimes I begin playing Christmas songs as early as August. My poor husband bears with my love for the season. What a great guy he is! He'll come home kindly, even with the whole family belting out Christmas tunes in the summer.

Fortunately, we can read in the scriptures that the Lord loves singing. D&C 25:12-13 says:

Christmas is almost here. With both that and the truths contained in D&C 25:12-13 in mind, let's have some FHE Fun!

FHE Fun

Opening Song

#203 “Angels We Have Heard on High”

Opening Prayer

By Invitation.

Devotional

Allow any family members who feel prompted to read a scriptural verse that touched them during the previous week. Perhaps the volunteers could also share and testify how the scripture helped or changed them.

Activity

(Preparation BEFORE Monday's FHE: obtain as many hymnals as you have family members.)

Items Needed:

• a hymnal for each person
• 2 pieces of paper
• pen or pencil

1. Read the theme scripture as a family:

2. Ask a few questions along these lines:

• Why would the Lord love it when we sing?
• Why might songs be viewed as prayers to God?
• What blessings might come to those who learn hymns?
• Why would hymn-singing bring joy, as mentioned in D&C 25:13?
• How could frequent hymn-singing help us keep our covenants?

Explain that during Christmas time, we sing a lot of fun Christmas songs. But some songs might feel more special to the Lord than others. For FHE this week, we're going to explore some of those songs.

Pass out a borrowed hymnal to every family member. Let them know that they, for just a few minutes, get to "write" a new hymn of worship for the Christ child as a Christmas gift to Him.

3. Create a new hymn for Christ.

The instructions are simple:

1. Ask the family individually to find their eight most favorite hymns. List those hymn titles and authors on the first piece of paper (Primary-age children could use the Primary songbook instead).

2. Instruct each individual to select his or her most favorite phrase from each hymn. Write those lines on the second piece of paper in any order.

3. They then can rearrange the selected phrases in an order that pleases them (putting the author/composer's name in parenthesis after each poetic line to give credit where it is due).

4. Once everyone has completed their new "hymn" for Christ, take turns reading them (mentioning the author's name is not necessary during the actual reading part of the activity — neither do the "hymns" need to rhyme).

Application

The song of the heart is a prayer unto God. And by becoming more familiar with the hymns, we potentially increase in reverence for the holy gift of Christ given so willingly for us.

We can choose to sing hymns of praise and in the process, we literally offer up prayers of gratitude and appreciation for Him who has redeemed us.

Testimony

Turn the time over for testimony-sharing or perhaps singing of a few particularly meaningful Christmas songs.

Closing Song

#202 “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful”

Closing Prayer

By Invitation.

Refreshments

Popcorn balls would make a fun FHE refreshment to aid the theme of the lesson. Just as the use of many hymns can contribute overall to our lives, each popped kernel contributes to the yummy treat as a whole! (Many recipe books include a recipe for popcorn balls.)

Summary

It's Christmas time! Oh, what a charismatic month of the year. And nearly everywhere we go, we hear Christmas songs. As we go about our Christmas activities, let us make sure that some of those songs we sing include hymn-prayers to the Lord, as suggested by the scripture D&C 25:12.

Yes indeed, during this delightful time of year let us bring delight to God by our hymns of worship and praise. Then truly our hearts can rejoice in this most holy of months, the month in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

C.S. Bezas' book has been described as perfect for youth leaders and parents of teens. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings is available in LDS bookstores and by clicking here.