Diamond Sceptre Christmas Watch Party

 

You can view the livestream of this Diamond Sceptre Christmas album at 8pm AEST on YouTube here. And of course, after this time you can watch the recording.

I remember when I was in my twenties having a debate with a pastoral colleague of mine about Christmas. This is a man I greatly respect and have had many debates with over the years. In this debate we were talking about whether or not an associate pastor or youth pastor should be expected to be at Church during a Christmas day service.

His position was yes, and he would not hire an associate who did not want to work on Christmas day. My position was no, and part of the basis of my argument was Colossians 1:16-23,

“16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

My argument was simple, Paul explicitly tells us that we cannot judge someone according to their observance of holy days. He makes a similar argument in Romans 14-15. Here is a core part of his argument Romans,

“5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Rom. 14:5-9).

Paul repeatedly taught that we should not pass judgement on someone regarding holy days. Christianity is not the same as the old ways of the Law of Moses, we do not have the same kind of official and mandatory liturgical calendar. His argument was, sure, Christians should not be expected to observe certain holidays, but he would expect someone who was on his staff to be at all services, including on days like Christmas, because he considered this part of their role as a pastor.

What are your thoughts?

I still believe that we should not judge people according to what days they celebrate. Catholics celebrate lent, and not eating meat on Fridays, may they do this in honour to God. Protestants celebrate Easter, Christmas, and maybe one or two other historical Christian holidays during the year, depending on their denomination, may we do this in honour of God. Some people don’t want to celebrate any of these special days, may they do this in honour of God.

But I also have to reflect on the fact that in my early twenties I had really soured on Christmas. I was not anti-Christmas. How can you be anti-something so good? But I did not look forward to it a whole lot. I looked it as a once great holiday that had become overly commercialized. So, I chose not to really emphasize. I remember one year going for a jog on Christmas morning and spending the day just happy that I did not have to work.  

This all changed when I went to France in 2011 and I got to see Christmas being celebrated in the heart of ancient Christendom in Europe. This awoke in me a real affection for Christmas. Seeing atheists at a local church practicing to sing Christmas carols in English worshipping Jesus, reminded me that there was something special about this time of year. People generally do start to act different, and not just by going crazy in their shopping habits. There is a cheer, a freedom, a forgiving nature that comes out at this time of year, that you don’t see at other times of the year.

Jesus’ coming into this world really did change everything, as O Holy Night tells us, “O holy night, The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth, Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'Til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth, A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Jesus’ coming changed everything (John 1:9-13), and just his presence in the world broke the power of evil in some ways, and his victory on the cross and over death broke evils power even more. Centuries of passionate and devoted Christmas celebrations had sanctified this time of year and made it something different, something special. This is why enemy soldiers in WW1 laid down their weapons to exchange gifts in the middle of the war, at Christmas time. This time of year is different, it really is. And many people, Christian or not, experience that difference.

Since then I have dedicated myself to stirring up affection in people for observing this time of year. No compulsion, but affection. Jesus came to set us free, and in my mind this time of year really is different, really is worth observing, and really has a transformative nature about it. Not because of the date, or the time of year, in Australia we swelter in hot summer days during Christmas, we don’t have cosy gatherings around warm cocoa and fireplaces. But because of what we celebrate and what we focus on.

I have taken great delight in listening to and singing more intently Christmas carols at this time of year. Especially the Christian ones. Having a daughter probably helps with this, as well, as she loves Christmas carols. And while some of these classic songs might get some of the placement, itinerary, and attendee details a little off about the original Christmas when the magi gathered to celebrate the young Jesus some months after his birth, they all get the central message right. They are all correct about the special holiness of the event and our Lord Jesus Christ at the centre of that event.

Now, with the advent of generative AI, I have been able to use a combination of the Bible, my own writing experience, a theologically trained AI, and music generation, to create my own Christmas album: Diamond Sceptre Christmas.

Diamond Sceptre, unlike Iron Sceptre, is a female led band with light heavy metal influences. I wanted to create a range of Christmas songs, in more classical style and also a heavier rock style. What I have done is upload 9 songs to Spotify, Amazon Music, iTunes, Apple music and a few other places. There are four original songs with two versions of each song, a rockier version and a classic version, plus one cover of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. I also thought it would be fun to do an online YouTube watch party to debut this album. To help promote the album, but also help stir in you some more love for Christmas.

Here are examples of the lyrics from the songs:

Song 1, Promise Long Foretold

Verse 1

Behold, the promise long foretold,

A virgin bears a holy Son;

The Spirit overshadows her,

The Father’s faithful work is done.

To Joseph comes the angel’s voice:

“Take Mary, fear not to obey;

For He who grows within her womb

Will save His people in your day.”

 

Refrain

Fall on your knees

Bow before him

For he is your king

And he shall ever reign.

 

Verse 2

In Bethlehem, of Judah’s line,

The promised Shepherd comes to reign;

The Holy One in lowliness

Lies cradled where the cattle lain.

Yet angels guard His quiet rest,

And heaven holds its breath in awe:

For God has stepped into our night—

The Word made flesh in stable straw.

 

Song 2, The Child and The Dragon

Verse 1

A sign appeared in heav’n above,

A woman crowned with light;

The sun her robe, the moon beneath,

Her stars with glory bright.

She cried in pain to bring forth Him,

The long-promised, holy child—

The One to rule the nations all,

The Shepherd strong and mild.

 

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice! The battle’s won,

The ancient foe defeated!

By Christ the Lamb, God’s conqu’ring Son,

His fiery wrath is cheated.

 

Verse 2

Behold, a dragon fierce and red,

With horns and crowns of might;

His tail swept down a third of stars

To cast them from the height.

He waited near the woman’s cry,

To seize the infant fair;

But God caught up His promised King

To heav’n’s protecting care.

 

Song 3, The Magnificat

Verse 1

My soul now magnifies the Lord,

My spirit joys in God my Savior;

He looked on me in humble state,

And all shall call His servant blessed.

 

Refrain

The Lord who sits within her womb

Shall rule, iron sceptre in his hand

He shall break chains, shun the tomb

And gather us in his hand.

 

Verse 2

The Mighty One has done great things,

His mercy flows from age to age;

His arm has scattered all the proud,

And raised the lowly to His throne.

 

Song 4, Light for All the World

Verse 1

Before all worlds the Word was there,

With God in splendor bright;

Through Him were made both earth and air,

In Him was life and light.

The darkness could not overcome,

Nor silence still His voice;

The Father’s everlasting Son—

He comes, let earth rejoice!

 

Chorus

O Jesus, Light of all the world,

Shine on our darkest night!

The Word made flesh, God’s glory shown—

Our everlasting Light.

O Jesus, Light for everyone,

Now born that we may see:

The grace and truth of God revealed,

His love made flesh for me.

 

Verse 2

The true Light came into the world,

Though once unknown, despised;

Yet to all those who received His name—

New children God has prized.

Not born of flesh, nor human will,

But born of God above;

He calls us out of shadowed paths

Into His changeless love.

Song 5, is a cover of the famous O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.

 

I actually modelled the lyric structure of a couple of my songs of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. This has previously not been one of my favourite Carols, because it is often sung almost as a dirge in music style at least. But the lyrics are incredible, and the style of the lyric structure is also timeless. I used a combination of my own writing, scripture and an AI trained on theology to create the lyrics for my original songs. Some songs are more my work than other others. All of them I have reviewed intensely before publishing. They are based, in order of the songs above, on Matthew 1:8-2:23, Revelation 12, Luke 1:46-56, and John 1:1-18. The alternate version of Promise Long Foretold has a slightly different refrain, because I spent a lot of time toying over which style I preferred better, and decided both should be published.

I hope you enjoy this album. I hope it blesses you. And I hope above all else that it brings glory to Jesus Christ and helps magnify him more in your heart. Our saviour came to save us from our own sins and Satan’s power. What a momentous advent to celebrate.

Viva Christo Rey