CHRISTMAS IN JUNE

Our 3 year old son Parker loves to sing. And lately all he has wanted to sing is Christmas carols. Maybe it is because his favorite toy is a stuffed animal reindeer with a red nose we call Rudolph. So of course we sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" along with "Winter Wonderland" and "Go Tell It On the Mountain." Obvioulsy "Go Tell It On the Mountain," made famous by Mahalia Jackson (see above) is considered a Christmas song because it is about the birth of Christ. But even more so than a holiday carol, it strikes me as a song about missions. The song says that we are to tell the message of Christ "on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere." Sounds a lot like the Scripture -- "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). I've never heard the song sung in church outside of the Christmas season but it would be a perfect theme for a missions service or conference. And it is the perfect song to sing with Parker to celebrate Christmas, and teach him about missions, all year long.