Church of England Reportedly Told to Change Christmas Carol Lyrics

Priests with the Church of England have reportedly been told to change the lyrics of Christmas hymns to avoid “causing unnecessary offence,” according to a report from The Telegraph.

The hymns considered to be “problematic” include O Come, O Come, Emmanuel due to suggesting other religions are “outside of God’s grace” and Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending, as the hymn says Jesus is the “true Messiah.”

Clergy were further advised to “[t]ry to use language that won’t add further confusion or tension or take away anything from the good news of the Nativity.”

Earlier this year, reports circulated that the Church of England was moving to drop the word “church” to attract more people.

In a study called “New Things: A theological investigation into the work of starting new churches across 11 dioceses in the Church of England,” researchers with the Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research in Durham found that the word “church” is being used less frequently in favor of other terms.

The study analyzed 11 dioceses and how they described new church plants. According to the study, of the more than 100 new churches planted by the dioceses in the last decade, none of them used the terms “church” or “church plant.”

“That the term ‘church’ is not used, in favour of other terms (community, congregation etc.) is worthy of theological reflection. We explore whether the question, ‘what is church?’ is worth asking,” the study said.

Some of the dioceses used the word “worship” as a means of describing the new churches, while others “community” and “congregation.”

The Church of England, however, condemned ideas that it aimed to rebrand itself to favor inclusion or progressive values.

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