I love Christmas: The lights, songs, family, friends… everything about this season (well, except the shopping and the budget) just makes me happy. Each year, I start listening to Christmas music a little early to try and find music for us to lead and to plan out our services.

Last week we did one of my favorite finds this year from a band called For King & Country. “Angels We Have Heard on High” is not typically one of my favorite songs to play for Christmas (there are a ton of chord changes in most versions), but I have to say this version stole my heart with some drumming. I included the video link below for your listening pleasure.

Strangely enough this song isn’t even what I’m talking about.

I was looking up the origins behind some of the music we typically listen to at this time of year and I ran across, “Little Drummer Boy.” This song is a newer Christmas song that was not even written until 1941. The song is about a boy who was called by the Magi to see Jesus. As the boy was poor and could not provide a gift for Him, he did what he could. He played his drum.

I think this song gets lost in all the “pa rum pum pum pumming”; you take them out and you are left with a great story. As Scott showed us last week in Isaiah 59:9, we were in darkness, hopeless. There was no reason to beat our drum. The good news is the story was not over. In Isaiah 59:20, we see the promise of the Redeemer coming. And as we know the rest of the story, He has come. And for that, I will beat my drum with joy.

Angels We Have Heard on High – For King & Country

Little Drummer Boy – Audio Adrenaline

Richard Jacobs
Worship Pastor