“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!”
The words flow seamlessly from our mouths each Sunday after we receive the tithes and offerings. We sing the words every Sunday, many times without even giving much thought to the meaning of the words behind the hymn.
So, exactly what is a good definition of a Doxology? The best online definition that really works for me is “…a short hymn or liturgical formula of praise to God. It typically expresses praise, glory, and honor to God, often invoking specific attributes of God. Doxologies are commonly recited or sung in religious services or as part of personal devotion”.
Kevin DeYoung, in an article from 2014, wrote “The Doxology is not necessary for our Christian faith. It is not an essential component of Christian worship. It is not indispensable to the Christian church. But it is old. It is good. It is true. The people of God have been singing it for close to 500 years for a reason. And we lose something when we lose it.”
But frankly, the Doxology that we sing each Sunday is not the ONLY Doxology. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Since it is “a short hymn or praise to God,” then couldn’t we say that there are many Doxologies? Some folks even go so far as to say a Doxology is a prayer, and I’m in total agreement with that thought.
We have just celebrated the fourth Thursday of November as the designated Thanksgiving holiday. And here comes Christmas right on time! Celebration is the word that comes to mind. We’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, and we’ve immediately started celebrating Christmas. This is the way it should be. Thanksgiving was the absolute latest day in the calendar, thus making Thanksgiving and Christmas very close together this year.
With the celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas, it also helps us to remember the importance of the Doxology. We sing the Doxology every Sunday. The Thanksgiving and Christmas hymns are limited to the months of November and December. Let’s be thankful and celebrate our great God each Sunday as we remember and sing the Doxology!
From your parsonage family, we “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow” and wish for you and yours a very God-filled Christmas and a blessed New Year of 2025!