December has arrived, and with it, the start of LMI’s Advent Christmas Carol Countdown! We asked our staff and volunteers to vote for their favourite Christmas carols, and with the ballots tallied, we will reveal the results each day between now and the revelation of ‘Number One’ on December 25th.
We hope this series will bless you and encourage your heart as, together, we consider the inspiration behind some of the most popular and much-loved Christmas carols!
Christmas Carol Countdown | No.25 – Do You Hear What I Hear?
Today’s devotional was written by Alan Dourish. The piano instrumental is by Matthew Winning. You listen to the full recording here - https://youtu.be/Nbu9FlOb7fY
“Originally recorded in 1962, ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ provides a short but illustrative snapshot of the nativity story. In a ‘Chinese whispers’ like manner, from the ‘night wind’ to the ‘little lamb’, to the shepherd boy and the king, and finally from the king to people everywhere, the messages relayed highlight Christ’s glory and sovereignty while, simultaneously, reminding us of His lowly birth.
This is one of the things I like most about Christmas carols – they regularly provide a lovely balance between acknowledging Christ’s humility and His incredible love for sinful mankind, while also pointing to His glory and Lordship over all the earth as Creator, Sustainer and Judge.
The lyrics were written by Noël Regney and the music was composed by Gloria Shayne, who also used the last verse to emphasise a call for people to pray for peace, their response to the Cuban Missile Crisis which was happening at the time.
With multiple versions recorded by a plethora of different artists over the decades, ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ might not be a favourite in the LMI office, but it is clearly a Christmas song that continues to bring joy to many people across the world.”