Wednesday, December 21, 2016

We Three Kings of Orient Are

Twelve Songs of Christmas #12
We Three Kings of Orient Are

They weren’t kings.

Nowhere does the Bible say that there were three.

Matthew says they came from the east, so they very well could have been oriental. Possibly.

Still, when the title has two, and possibly three mistakes, you’ve got a problem.

We Three Kings of Orient Are is an imagined narration by the magi who traveled to see the one born king of the Jews.  The writer of this song is not the only one who has assumed that there were three who followed the star.  Writers since the middle ages have said that there were three.  Every modern nativity set and Christmas play has three people following a star.  

People have also written that they were kings for many years.

Most likely, they were astronomers.

They were following a star, after all.

Matthew describes the scene this way:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him”…Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route (Mt. 2:1-2, 7-12)

They did follow a star, they came from the east, and there are three gifts mentioned in the story.  The writer of the song gets these elements correct.  Most of the rest of We Three Kings of Orient Are, however, is imagined.  A more realistic song title would be “We, Undisclosed Number of Astronomers of Possibly the Orient Are,” but that’s a little long and unwieldy.

We Three Kings of Orient Are begins with a focus on the long journey to Bethlehem.

We three kings of Orient are bearing gifts, we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

The next three verses focus on the gifts given to the Christ child, and the reasoning for each gift.

Gold is said to be given because of the kingship of Jesus. 

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown him again King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.

Next, the writer says that frankincense was given to declare and to worship Christ as God.
Incense was very often used in temple worship throughout the First and Second Temple periods.

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising, worshiping God on high.

Myrrh has many uses, from embalming, to being used to make incense and anointing oils, to purification rituals. Myrrh often was used in burials as well, which is obviously the connection that the song writer is making in verse 4.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone cold tomb.

The song writer closes by celebrating the resurrection. The “kings” in the story honor not only the kingship, Lordship, and death of Christ, but his resurrection as well.

Glorious now behold him arise;

Once again, the writer reminds us of the reason for each of the gifts:

King and God and sacrifice

Alleluia, Alleluia sounds through the earth and skies.

This song, while an imaginative exercise, is a reminder of the many elements of Christ and his life--his kingship, his Lordship, his death, and his resurrection.  Much like "What Child is This?," We Three Kings of Orient Are is an attempt to breathe new life into a well-known story by looking at it from a specific perspective.  We can argue over details of the story, but the message of Christ's kingship, Lordship, death, and resurrection are eternal and powerful.

What Child is This?

Twelve Songs of Christmas #11
What Child is This?

William Chatterson Dix was a poet in England in the 1800’s.  He wrote the words that we now sing to the tune of Greensleeves during the Christmas season.  Dix became ill, and in that time reflected often on God.  During this time Dix wrote a poem entitled “The Manger Throne.”  The poem became popular in the United States, and when it was coupled with the melody Greensleeves, it became an enormously popular song in both England and America.  Greensleeves was a popular folk song and drinking song since 1652, but not spiritual at all.  Once the words of "The Manger Throne" were sung with Greensleeves, however, it became one of the most popular Christmas songs in existence.

What Child is This? is interesting for its perspective of someone looking upon the Christ child, not knowing of his significance.

What child is this, who, laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?
This is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.

Dix continues the perspective of an unknowing bystander in verse 2.

Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?

“Why did these parents put their baby in a feeding trough?”  A good question.  I often think about how ‘ordinary’ the Christmas story has become for so many of us.  We attend Christmas plays and hear a narrator say “And she wrapped him in swaddling cloths and lay him in a manger.”  It’s sweet and brings a smile to everyone’s face.

If you were to come upon a woman putting her baby to sleep in a feeding trough, however, you’d probably want to alert the authorities.  It’s a surprising story that we’ve normalized simply by hearing it so often.  Looking at the Christmas story from an oblivious bystander’s perspective can help us to see once again just how crazy this story really was.

A professor said a few years ago that “if you want to see a Biblical story in a new way, put yourself in the shoes of one of the characters.  In this case, Dix has put himself in the shoes of an unaware bystander.

Good Christian, fear, for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.
Hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the son of Mary.

In much of the Wisdom Literature, the writers call the reader to “fear the Lord” (Proverbs 1:7, 8:13, 14:26, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Psalm 33:8, 25:14).  This Lord is present to sinners here in the manger. Fear the Lord who is before you: the Word made flesh.

He comes bringing salvation.  He comes as the King of Kings.  He comes for all: peasant and king alike.

So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh; come peasant, king, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings.
Let loving hearts enthrone him.

Joy, for Christ is born. The babe, the son of Mary.

Monday, December 19, 2016

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Twelve Songs of Christmas #10
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

It is thought that the song O Come, O Come, Emmanuel was written sometime in the ninth century.  The English translation came from John Mason Neale, an Anglican priest who was sent to minister in the Madeira Islands.  There he started an orphanage, a place of safety for prostitutes, and a school for girls.  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel would have spoken to him as a minister to the marginalized.

This is a theologically rich song, expressing the desire and need for a Messiah to ransom his people.  It begins with a call for God to free his people, using Israel to symbolize all who are awaiting freedom and ransom from captivity.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel, which mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear

In the book of Isaiah, king Ahaz of Judah is under pressure from two other kings. God speaks to Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah, telling Ahaz that a baby will be a sign that God is with him.  This baby will be called Immanuel (a Hebrew word meaning "God with us").

Many years later, an angel announces the birth of another baby who will show God's people that God is with them.  "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel." (Matthew 1:22-23).  This baby once again fulfills the prophet's words that God is with his people.

This opening verse is a cry to God to bring this Messiah.  It is a cry of desperation for the Saving One to appear in a world of captivity.

Verse two calls back to Isaiah 11, in which it is said that a shoot will come from the tribe of Jesse, the Spirit of the Lord would be upon him, and he would rescue and reclaim his people.

O come, thou rod of Jesse,
Free thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell, thy people save, and give them victory o'er the grave.

Verse 3 calls Immanuel to bring light in the darkness.  This calls back an image from Malachi 4:2, which says that for those who revere the name of God, the Sun of Righteousness will rise.

O come, o dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here,
And drive away the shades of night
And pierce the clouds and bring the light

In Isaiah 22, God says that he will give a king the "key of the house of David."  Verse 4 connects this image to Jesus bringing the key to the kingdom of God.

O come, Thou Key of David come and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.

The final verse reflects on God as the Lord who appeared in glory on Mount Sinai, and gave the law to the people.  This same God who gave the law and appeared in glory to Moses and the people is the God who came as a baby.  This is the God who declared that he was with the people through the birth of Jesus; Immanuel.

O come, thou wisdom from on high
Who in thy glorious majesty from Sinai's mountain, clothes in awe,
Gavest thy folk the elder law

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is a cry for the God of the Old Testament to appear to his people.

This cry is met with celebration in the chorus, which proclaims that the Messiah, indeed, will come.  He will fulfill each of these prophecies, and will signify that God continues to be with his people.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Silent Night

Twelve Songs of Christmas #9
Silent Night

Written in 1818 by Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber, Silent Night is one of the most well-known Christmas songs around today.  The version from Bing Crosby is one of the best selling singles of all time.  Musically, Silent Night is a simple folk-like song similar to many sung in Austria and Germany at the time it was written.

Silent Night begins much like O Little Town of Bethlehem--making note of the silence in Bethlehem as the Messiah was born.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child; holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'...When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about'" (Luke 2:8-12, 15).

Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born!

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests'" (Luke 2:13-14).

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light, radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace.
Jesus, Lord at thy birth!

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

In the midst of the silence, the Lord appeared to the world.  The world may have been asleep and missed the event, but the heavenly hosts celebrated, and began to spread the word of the coming Lord!

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Twelve Songs of Christmas #8
O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem was written by Phillips Brooks, who was the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia.

Brooks had a heavy ministry.  He was pastor during the Civil War, and people continually were killed in the war.  All of Brooks' congregants knew people who were killed, and all were feeling the weight of the war as they entered the church each Sunday.

After the war, another weight was on the nation, as Lincoln was assassinated.

Brooks was asked to give the funeral message for Lincoln.

Shortly after, Brooks took a sabbatical to go to the Holy Land.  He needed some respite from the weight of his ministry.  While there, he borrowed a horse and rode on horseback on Dec. 24 toward Bethlehem. While in Bethlehem, he considered the birth of King born in such small surroundings.  This was a powerful moment for Brooks.

He said that the "experience was so overpowering it would forever be singing in my soul."

When he came back, he found that he couldn't adequately communicate this experience to his church from the pulpit.

Brooks wrote a poem, still trying to communicate his experience from Bethlehem.

His organist Lewis Redner tried to put this poem to a melody to communicate the experience in song.
O Little Town of Bethlehem has since become one of the most popular Christmas carols.

O Little Town of Bethlehem is a song depicting the birth of the Christ; specifically noting the quietness surrounding the birth.  While the incredible moment when God took on human flesh was occurring, people were asleep.  This miraculous event happened in a quiet, out-of-the-way town.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! 
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light: the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight!

Despite the silence of the night, the heavenly beings look upon this moment.

O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the king and peace to men on earth, For Christ is born of Mary
And, gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

In verses 3 and 4, Brooks connects the silence of the birth to the fact that God cannot be heard by human ears.  Yet, in spite of the perceived silence of God, he is present and will enter into the hearts of those who call.

How silently, how silently the wonderous gift is given. 
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.

Where Children pure and happy pray to the blessed child; where misery cries out to thee, son of the mother mild; where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door, the dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

The song closes with a prayer that God will enter in to our hearts.

O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in: be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell.
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!


---------
Sources:
The New Oxford Book of Carols
Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas

Monday, December 12, 2016

O Holy Night

Twelve Songs of Christmas #7
O Holy Night

In 1847, Placide Cappeau was commissioned to write a Christmas poem by a parish priest for Christmas mass.  Cappeau was inspired while reading Gospel of Luke, and considered what it would be like to be present at this amazing moment in history.  In reflecting on the birth of Jesus, he wrote:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, oh night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!


The song became popular in France where it was written, but later was banned by the church, because Cappeau and composer Adolphe Adam were not Christians.

However, people in France continued to sing the song.  It remained popular despite this church-wide ban.

In 1855, John Sullivan Dwight translated the song into English.  The song became wildly popular in America and beyond.  It is said to be the first song played over the radio. 

Dwight was an abolitionist, and connected strongly with the commonly-sung second verse.  This verse supported his view of the problem of slavery in America (Collins, Ace, Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas, 2004).

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!


Chains were broken when Christ was born.  His birth frees the enslaved and the oppressed.  It was not only an amazing event to behold when it happened over two millennia ago; it continues to be a life-altering event today.


Saturday, December 10, 2016

O Come All Ye Faithful

Twelve Songs of Christmas #6
O Come All Ye Faithful

Today, we begin a 3-part series about Christmas songs beginning with "O."

O Come All Ye Faithful is a simple song calling people to look upon the Christ child.

O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant

Why joyful? Why triumphant?  The Messiah, the coming King, has arrived.  God has come in human flesh to save the world. As the final verse says, "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing" (John 1:14).

O come ye, o come ye, to Bethlehem.  Come and behold him, born the king of angels.

He is king over even the angels.  This king is above all beings great and small; earthly and heavenly.

The majority of this song is simply a call for all beings, from angels to humans of all stature and class.  It is unclear where the song originated.  Manuscripts from Catholic scribe John Francis Wade contain the tune and verses 1, 2, 6, and 7 in Latin (The New Oxford Book of Carols, 242). These are the verses that are commonly sung in churches today.

I find another verse, verse 5, to be especially meaningful.

Child, for us sinners, poor and in the manger,
Fain we embrace thee with love and awe;
Who would not love thee, loving us so dearly?

We willingly embrace the Christ child in love and awe.  Why?  We embrace him and love him because he so loved us. 
Even those who are poor. 
Even those who are in the manger. 
Even those who are sinners.

God's love was shown through Jesus to the people to whom society or the religious hierarchy was not always kind.  The sermon on the mount begins with a show of love to the outsider.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
 
In Jesus, God's love reached out to all people.  Sinners and saints, rich and poor.  This Christmas season, let us come and adore him; born the king of angels; now in flesh appearing; who loves us so dearly.
 
 

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Twelve Songs of Christmas #5
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing appears in more hymn books than any other song written by Charles Wesley.  It has been edited in minor ways over the years, leading to the standard version that we have today (Wesley's original version was "Hark! How All The Welkin Rings").  John Wesley was famously against editing of any of his or Charles' hymns, leading to one of my very favorite quotes of his: "Many Gentlemen have done my Brother and me (though without naming us) the honour to reprint many of our hymns. Now they are perfectly welcome to do so, provided they print them just as they are. But I desire they would not attempt to mend them--for they really are not able."  He asked that when these hymns were changed, that the originals be left in the margins "that we may no longer be held responsible either for the nonsense or for the doggerel of other men" (The New Oxford Book of Carols 1992, page 328).

Never change any hymns by myself or my brother.  They are perfect as is.

Got it.

In the story of the Fall from the book of Genesis, God says to the snake, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15).  This enmity surely rings true.  Most people do not like snakes.  Most snakes do not seem to like people.  People and snakes attack one another.
As we look at the arc of scripture, this enmity between people and snakes symbolizes the struggle between God and evil; God and Satan; God and sin.  Ultimately through Christ, people were given life and made righteous.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:12-19

In verse 3 of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Charles Wesley celebrates Jesus as the second Adam who has made us righteous, and he calls on God to defeat evil.  He taps in to both the Genesis passage and the Romans passage in this verse:

Come, Desire of Nations, come; Fix in us thy humble home!
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed, Bruise in us the Serpent's head!
Adam's likeness, Lord, efface: Stamp thy image in its place!
Second Adam, from above, Reinstate us in thy love!

While this verse is often not sung in churches today (Why do we always sing verses 1, 2, and 4?),  it holds the meaning to the entire song. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a song of thankfulness to the God who has defeated evil and made us righteous.

Hark! The herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful all ye nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies! With angelic hosts, proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord:
Late in time behold him come, Offspring of a Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see! Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell: Jesus our Emmanuel

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.

As we sing this song during the Christmas season, may we celebrate that the Fall was not the end.  May we celebrate Jesus' conquering of sin and death.  May we rejoice that Jesus was born to raise us and give us second birth.

Monday, December 5, 2016

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Twelve Songs of Christmas #4
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Each year, my high school marching band played an awesome rendition of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen at the annual Snowflake Parade in Klamath Falls.  There was a great trombone part (great trombone parts were few and far between), so I didn't mind at all that we played the same song year in and year out. It was a good one.

Aside from our *awesome* marching band version, however, I have not always been a big fan of this song.  Musically the song is fine, but I am always thrown by Ye Olde English.  Many of the sentences are structured strangely, and the song moves at a fast clip, so I never really know what exactly I am singing while I am singing.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is a song about, well, comfort and joy.  It acts as a reminder to those who may feel sorrow; who may feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders; that the Messiah has been born.  Christ has come to conquer the forces of sin and death.
This sentiment is loud and clear in the opening verse:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior is born upon this day to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray.

Or, in other words,

May God make you joyful, do not be distressed.  Remember that Christ is born to save us from the power of sin and death.

In addition, in verse four, the angel tells the shepherds not to fear, and points them to the Messiah.  The song writer then editorializes the story a bit, and has the angel explain to the shepherds what exactly Christ's birth will accomplish:

"Fear not" then said the angel, "Let nothing you affright; this day is born a Savior of virtue, power, and might, so frequently to vanquish all the friends of Satan quite."

This baby will be so mighty and powerful that he will break the power of Satan in this world.

The song ends with a call to praise:

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place, and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace.
The holy tide of Christmas all others doth efface.

Find your joy in Christ's birth.  Embrace one another in Christian love, because the Savior of the World is born.  The power of Christ's birth is greater than other things in this world.

The God who was an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46) to the people throughout the Old Testament has now come into the world to conquer the powers of sin and death once and for all.  The power of Christ is greater than the other powers in this world, and the "holy tide" of Christ's coming is greater than the sorrows and troubles of this world.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Twelve Songs of Christmas
#3: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

During the season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of the celebration of Jesus at Christmas.  In doing so, we put ourselves in the place of the followers of God who were waiting for the coming Messiah.  There were many thoughts as to what kind of a Messiah was coming.  For the most part, it was thought that the coming Messiah would be king David's heir.  The Messiah would be one who would rescue Israel from their enemies.  In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is writing about two Messiahs that are coming, one a priest and another a king.

As we read the New Testament, we find Jesus fulfilling the role of both Priest and King.

The people were looking for a Messiah to save them; to rescue them.  This hymn by Charles Wesley taps in to this sense of waiting and expectation that the people were feeling.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

As a child, I don't remember celebrating the season of Advent.  Our church may have done so.  I remember special services on Christmas, and I remember Christmas Eve services, but I do not remember celebrating Advent, which is a shame.  Much of the miracle of Christmas is lost if the expectation is absent. Jesus did not appear in the midst of a joyous, at-ease people.  Jesus came to a people who were waiting for a savior from their enemies. In the midst of that expectation--a baby in a manger.

from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.


A people overwhelmed with their sinfulness and fear is looking for rest.  Through this baby, they will find their rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;


This Messiah that Israel is waiting for; this Messiah that gives strength and hope to God's people; this Messiah is not only hope for Israel, but is hope for the entire world!

dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.


Not only is the coming Messiah going to be the king of the nations; he will be the King of every heart that yearns for him as well.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,

The King who will deliver his people came as a child.  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14).

born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;

Wesley asks that this King who was coming to reign will rule in the hearts of his people.

by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.


Finally, the song ends with an expectation of Christ's return; a fitting end to a song about expectation.

The season of Advent is about expectation. We followers of Christ put ourselves in the place of those who were waiting, longing for a Messiah to save them. We remember this longing, and how it was met with the King of kings being born in a stable.  We long as well; we long for the coming kingdom.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Away in a Manger

Twelve Songs of Christmas
Song #2 -- Away in a Manger

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the song "Away in a Manger."  I love the melody.  I love the peacefulness of the song.  Mostly I love that everybody knows it, and if someone begins singing the song during the Christmas season, everybody else will join in.  All Christmas carols seem to bring a sense of community, and this song is no different.

What has always bothered me is the line "Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes."  I've been around babies.  They cry.  All of them.  Find me one baby who does not cry.  You can't, because they all do it.

You might say, "But it's cute. It's peaceful. It's nice to imagine Jesus that way."  It may be cute, but it's lies.  I have two children.  They cry.  They cried the moment they were born, and they cried on and off for the entire time they were babies.

I brought this up during youth group when I was in high school.  My youth leaders responded, "No, Jesus didn't cry.  Jesus wouldn't have had anything to cry about.  He was God.  What would he have to cry about?"
Well, for one, he used to be in a warm, comfortable womb, and now he's lying in a manger.
For another, he's a baby, and babies cry.

As it turns out, I'm not the only one for whom this lyric was problematic.  At the 1999 Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture, Cynthia L. Rigby said:
Think about Christmastime, when we sing in "Away in a Manger" these words: "...the little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes." No crying? Why do we say he doesn't cry? Perhaps because we know he is God, and God can't cry. On some level, we tend to reason to ourselves that, if Jesus is God, the whole baby thing must be kind of a disguise. He must have been not just an ordinary baby. . . he must have been a "superbaby." If we really believed in the incarnation, believing that Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine, we would instead sing: "The little Lord Jesus, much crying he makes."

You could argue that the song is merely talking about the night Jesus was born.  Sure, it is possible that Jesus did not cry on the night he was born. However, neither Matthew or Luke reference this.

You might think that I am examining this song too closely.  However, churches around the world sing this song each and every year, and I think it's important to know what exactly we are singing when we recite these words.  So let us take a minute or two to reflect on this beloved song.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head,
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.


Verse one is not terribly problematic.  Jesus was in a manger.  There was no guest room available for him.  He probably did lay down; quite possibly on hay.  Moving on.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.


The cows loudly moo and wake up the baby, but he doesn't cry.  That must be in the forgotten fifth gospel.

I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.


Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.


Midway through verse two and on into verse three, the song suddenly turns into a prayer that Jesus will guide us as we navigate life here on earth. 

Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with you there.


The song concludes with a call for Christ to bless all of his children, and a prayer that God will make us people who fit with the kingdom that God is preparing; a kingdom made up of every tribe, tongue, and nation.

If we examine this song as a prayer, it contains many elements in line with how Jesus taught his followers to pray.

This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:9-13).
 
In this prayer, Jesus says that prayer should include
1. awe at God's awesome power,
2. submission to God's kingdom and will,
3. asking for God's help throughout our daily lives,
4. repentance, and 
5. forgiveness for others.
 
Similarly, Away in a Manger
1. praises God for the Christ that's been born (okay, the song simply describes the baby and the manger, but it's assumed that the song writer is thankful for this baby),
2. asks God for help and guidance in life,
3. asks for blessing for all peoples of the world, and
4. asks God to make us people who are fit for heaven
 
Looked at as a whole, Away in a Manger is a great song of praise to the God who came into the world as a baby, and continues to guide and mold us as we navigate this life today.  I will never be at peace with the image of a baby Jesus who never cries (BABIES CRY!).  However, the Jesus who continues to live today as Lord and Savior is truly worth worshipping.

Angels We Have Heard on High

Twelve Songs of Christmas
Song #1: Angels We Have Heard on High

Glory to God in the Highest!

Each year, many churches around the world sing the words "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," which means "Glory to God in the Highest!"  This phrase comes from the book of Luke 2:8-20:

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

The shepherds were privy to the coming king!  The shepherds were told by the angel of the Lord that the Messiah was born, and they would find him in a manger.  The Messiah, the anointed one, the one who would bring salvation to God's people, was here!

What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?

What is this news that's making you sing Glory to God in the Highest?
This question is answered in the very next verse.  Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing.  The baby is born!  The Messiah, the Savior, is here!

The shepherds are privy to the coming King, and knowing that God has brought the coming Messiah to the world causes those who see and experience to join in the angels song: "Gloria in Excelsis Deo!  Glory to God in the Highest!"  The true king of the world is born!  The kingdom of God is at hand!

And they couldn't keep it in. The passage ends with the declaration that "the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

"Angels We Have Heard on High" focuses first on the perspective of the angels singing, and then the shepherds' joy, and ends with a call for Mary and Joseph to join in the song.

See Him in a manger laid
Jesus Lord of heaven and earth;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
With us sing our Savior’s birth.


The song begins with the angels.  It grows with the shepherds.  This song continues to grow as more discover the wonder that has occurred in the world.  The Christ, the Messiah, has come, and the appropriate response is to join in the heavenly song: Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

May this song continue to grow this Christmas season as we celebrate what we have seen and experienced: the Messiah has come into the world! God's kingdom is at hand!