During a recent Thanksgiving visit, our older daughter indicated that she is always moved emotionally by her first hearing of “The Little Drummer Boy”, but by the end of the Christmas season she has heard it so many times that it has lost its luster. The old adage has it, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” There is a certain truth to the statement, but on the other hand the familiar can bring comfort. Little people may sleep better with their own pillow beneath their heads. As in many things, balance is significant. I notice that congregations sing better when the songs are familiar. I believe that this year is the 200th anniversary of the composition “Silent Night.” Now it is so very familiar that even secular singers know the tune and lyrics. 200 years ago it was a new song. What a loss it would have been if it had stayed in the realm of the unfamiliar. We still offer praise to God with the ancient doxology when we present our offerings, but we also sing the new Advent hymn, “People Look East” to celebrate Jesus’ Advent in a new way. The mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar gives us an exciting mix that both comforts and inspires.