"Joy to the World, Away in a Manger and Silent Night - and just the first verses, remember." I must have repeated that about four or five times, hands clasped, smiling down at the small faces. They nodded, seemingly understanding, yet there was a slight perplexity playing on a few faces. "Ready?" I prepared them. And then us leaders burst joyfully into song ... pretty much going solo. The kids knew a line here and there - "Joy to the world," "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed," "Silent night, holy night." And that was almost it. These three verses to three of the most well-known Christmas carols were falling flat to the five to nine year olds at my church's Kids Club. I was shocked. They don't know the words. They actually don't know the words.
Now some were just being spoilsports, it's true. Oh, they knew the words. They just weren't in the mood to sing. But I knew that blank expression on others' faces. They attempted to sing along when they could, but they simply didn't know the words. And sadly, it makes sense. All of these kids attend public schools and all but one don't attend church regularly, which means I doubt they hear these at school and they certainly don't sing them at church. So they wouldn't know.
But it still caught me off guard. At least they recognize the songs, I told myself. Will the next generation? Probably not. Perhaps a few generations down and most non-Christians will not even remember Christ was celebrated at Christmas. "Christian" carols won't be sung - they're already not sung in the public schools. Children will grow up not just not knowing the words to Joy to the World, but not knowing what the words even mean. They won't know the nativity story. They won't know what Christmas means.
And that's why we must endeavor to be faithful to teach the children we know the gospel - by both word and deed. That's why God commanded that the Law be taught to the Israelites' children.
Psalm 78:5-7:
He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.
It's one thing to forget the words of a song, yet another to forget the works of God. Tonight, like every Thursday night, we will teach the gospel to these kids and pray that God would change their hearts. We will teach them until they are so familiar with the "good news of God," they will not forget.