As Christmas approaches every year, churches around the world sing traditional carols of the season in their worship. Yet for more contemporary churches, the search for good Christmas praise and worship music can be difficult and frustrating. Here's a list of some of the best contemporary worship songs written especially for Christmas to add new life to any contemporary church service in December.
"Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)" by Chris Tomlin
It is hard to mention contemporary worship without mentioning Chris Tomlin. As one of the most prolific worship songwriters in the world today, his influence is felt in countless churches across the globe. In 2009 he released his first Christmas album, Glory in the Highest.
His song "Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)" immediately caught the attention of the worship leader community. The song has modern carol style that focuses on the Christian's response to the incarnation and provides a fresh worship perspective while maintaining the joy of the season. And with a chorus that sounds like a great choral anthem, it will quickly become a hit in any congregation.
"Immanuel" by Stuart Townend
Stuart Townend has become famous among worship leaders for his beautifully written modern worship songs that capture the feel of traditional hymns while utilizing contemporary language. His song "Immanuel" takes that poetic essence and gives it a Christmas theme. With lyrics like, "From the squalor of a borrowed stable, by the Spirit and a virgin's faith, to the anguish and the shame of scandal, came the savior of the human race," the song traces the life of Jesus from birth in Bethlehem to glorious second coming.
The verses that focus on the cross and resurrection make this a great offering for a Christmas communion service. And the traditional feel of the song will find fans in both older and younger generations.
"King of Heaven" by Matt Goss
One of the exciting elements of the world of contemporary Christian music is the number of young songwriters presenting new offerings for the church. One of these lesser known worship leaders and songwriters is Matt Goss at LCBC Church in Lancaster, PA. The latest album from LCBC Worship, Where It Starts, includes a beautifully poignant response to the birth of Jesus.
The song is called "King of Heaven" and proclaims, "the King of heaven come to earth, salvation in a child's birth, behold the one who takes away our sin, we will bow and worship him." The lyrics present a raw emotional perspective of longing for Jesus' coming to dispel the darkness of sin in the world. This emphasis makes it a perfect song for the whole advent season.
"Offering (Christmas Version)" by Paul Baloche
Often contemporary worship songs refer loosely to elements of Christmas without specifically referencing the birth story at all. This can be frustrating for worship leaders seeking the themes of these songs with more of an overt Christmas reference. To address this difficulty, worship songwriter Paul Baloche took one of his more popular worship songs and rewrote the lyrics to create a Christmas version.
The result is the song "Offering (Christmas Version)". Referencing the story of the three wise men as a model of response to the manger for Christians today, the song calls each Christian to, "bring an offering of worship to my King." The song has gained recent popularity due to Casting Crowns cover of it on their 2008 Christmas album Peace on Earth.
"I Adore You" by Tim Light and Don Chapman
Tim Light, a young worship leader from the UK, met Don Chapman, of worshipideas.com fame, in 2003 after Light won a worship song-writing contest held by Chapman. In 2004, they decided to write a contemporary Christmas worship song. Shortly thereafter they came up with "I Adore You," a simple response to the reality of God's presence demonstrated in the Christmas story. The strength of the song comes in its accessibility for any congregation, with words and melodies that even the most novice worshiper can pick up almost instantly. And even better, a demo of the song and a chord chart are available free at worshipideas.com.
Praise and Worship Songs for Christmas
More and more worship songwriters are producing contemporary songs to supplement the traditional carols during the Christmas season. Instead of having to revert to more traditional styles in December, contemporary congregations can keep a modern feel while still expressing the joy of Christmas.
For More Information:
Christian Copyright Licensing International
The Story Behind "I Adore You"
Related Articles:
New Praise and Worship Songs for Contemporary Congregations
Steve Wilburn - Steve is currently a Worship Director at a suburban Philadelphia church, and a seminary student. He is a classically trained vocalist with ...
