While some (*cough* @wygle *cough*) might be adamant that there are hard and fast rules regarding what is or is not a carol, I cover today's choice, Come Thou Font Of Every Blessing for @jstank and because a number of artists, including Sufjan Stevens, have included it on Christmas productions and because there are a large number of Advent resources that include this traditional hymn as part of the observance before Christmas. However, it may seem like this does belong in the Sesame Street reference in the post's title.

Come Thou Font was composed by Robert Robinson, a Methodist Minister, in the mid-1700's. However, the tune you probably sing it to was devised in the 1800's and named after its creator, Asahel Nettleton.

My original thought was to show how the Protestant extreme negative reaction to anything related to the Catholic church has sustained a deep void with regard to the "church calendar". It is true that the whole concept of Advent and even Lent has been totally lost in many places we have worshipped as a family. There is truly much to be gained from choosing to focus on certain themes at prescribed times throughout the year, but I will not dwell on this any further for this post.

It has been my intent (hope?) that readers have been perusing or parsing through the text of the carols each day. If you have not been doing so, today's carol would be a most excellent beginning. I'm going to zoom in on verse three since it seems that Robinson himself was foreshadowing turns he took later in life.

There is a very sad story about Robinson where he is riding in a cab (horse drawn) with another passenger who is humming his hymn while reading a hymnal. This stranger asks him what his thoughts are of the tune and he responds, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then."

There is a very real possibility that this is the exact place you are in your walk with Christ. We are prone to wander. I describe it as the "Oooh! Shiny!!!" problem. We love new. We love different. We love decadent. We love comfortable. We are so predictable in this that every competent marketer preys upon these traits in every commercial or advertisement we experience.

Christmas, the real Christmas, is not new, different, decadent or comfortable. It takes us back over 2,000 years to a smelly, inhospitable animal stable where the King of Kings was covered with rags and laid in a feeding trough. Why? For the sole reason that we might no longer fear death; that we might be rescued from danger's unimaginable; that we might have a new life in Christ.

I know well the difficulties folks may be facing at this time of year, whether it be the economy, one's relationship with other family members, one's job or even one's walk with God. If that sounds a bit like where you are, it is important that you realize that you cannot will your way out of the situation. You cannot smoke, eat, drink or trip your way out either. You need to do what the hymn cries out to do and ask God to bind your wandering heart to Him.

Peter talks a bit about this in 1 Peter 2:4–10, 25:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense."

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

If you do feel like you are far from God, do not let that stop you from finding a place to celebrate the birth of Christ this week. Go to a solid, Bible-believing church and talk to the pastoral staff. They will pray for you, encourage you and help you find the path back to the joy we have in Christ (and make sure to read the December 25th Carol a Day to see how wondrous that joy truly is.)