“His mother only… worshiped the Beloved with a kiss.”

 

Carol: In the Bleak Midwinter – Christina Rossetti 1872
Tune: CRANHAM – Gustav Holst 1906

What a lovely phrase ends stanza three of this ever-popular carol whose fourth stanza “What shall I give him, poor as I am?” has become its most well-known.

In this third stanza, we are introduced to angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim – all who hover in the air above the stable place which sufficed as a greeting place for the One that Heaven could not hold back. Those winged figures witness Mary doing what every mother does to their newborn – she leans over, pulls the baby close to her lips and plants a kiss on the forehead or the cheeks. While other mothers do this as an act of love and welcome, Mary’s act was one of worship as well, as if to say, “I love you, I welcome you, and I worship you.”

Bleak this midwinter, yes? Bleak this entire year. But before we turn the calendar to January, let’s realize that hovering angels bid us welcome to express our acceptance of the One who has come to brighten our bleakness. Imagine that you pull Him close to yourself and whisper, “I love you, I welcome you, and I worship you.” If you’re really bold, kiss Him on the forehead and seal it with a kiss. That night, it was Mary only; tonight, it can be all of us.

All is calm. All is bright. No little drummer boy needed.

James Taylor Sings This Carol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmtO6cebcU

"Looknow! For glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing."

  

Carol: “It Came upon the Midnight Clear” – Edmund H. Sears (1810-1876)

Tune: CAROL

     All ye, beneath life's crushing load

     Whose forms are bending low,

     Who toil along the climbing path

     With painful steps and slow.

     Look now! for glad and golden hours

     Come swiftly on the wing.

     O rest beside the weary road

     And hear the angels sing.

 

“Heads up!” Don’t put it off. “Look now!” This seems to be a call to immediate response to the sound of angels’ wings… and the words they sing/say.

This stanza of the carol is addressed to all who find themselves beneath the crushing load of life, whose bodies and spirits are drooping under the weight of the struggles. Perhaps these encumbrances are the result of a birth defect or a disease, of their own bad decisions/sins, of the ‘cards they were dealt’ early on in life. Maybe they are overloaded with the problems of others – family members, friends, coworkers. Whatever has brought them to their knees, they feel like they are always on an up-hill trek, that every step is painful, and the progress is slow. I think we get the picture. In fact, it may be a picture of ourselves.

With heads hanging low, we are given hope that the better (glad and golden) hours are ahead because for unto us a Child has been born. Look up… now… and realize it. Be lifted from your bloodied knees to stand again complete. The Great Physician now is near; the newborn King comes to lift up the fallen, heal the sick and restore the weak.

This reassurance came upon the midnight clear two centuries ago, and it rings just as true today. Perhaps it’s just the word of hope we need to hear.

I had trouble finding a recording that included this pivotal stanza!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=D0t5CH_3280

“Then why should we on earth be sad?”

“Then why should we on earth be sad?”

Carol: On Christmas Night All Christians Sing – English Carol
Tune: SUSSEX CAROL

As soon as those silver tinsel trees were available, the Huffs got one! It was four feet tall and sat on a table in front of the picture window with the curtains pulled all the way back and the Venetian blinds pulled all the way up. We had to rearrange the entire living room to make way for the Sears-purchased altarpiece, but it was THAT important – the displaying to the neighborhood that we were “with it”!

Prior to this, our tree had come from the woods just above our house, chopped down and dragged down the hill… somewhat whopperjawwed (that’s east Tennessee for misshapen!).

But the piece de resistance was the revolving color wheel with 60-watt indoor flood light! What an invention! To a ten-year-old with a creative leaning, it was more than I could handle. I would sit for hours across the room on the displaced gold and white brocade sofa and watch the primary colors plus one spin slowly, changing not only the color of the tinsel tree but of the entire room. Shadows moved and morphed. I was enthralled.

It’s Christmas, y’all! Be fascinated by something! Why on earth should we be sad? If there’s one time we ought – all of us – to be overjoyed, it’s right now. The world may not fully realize it, but they are with great energy celebrating the birthday of our Redeemer! Why would we mope around and act un-glad about that!

I saw one of those revolving color wheels in an antique store a few months ago; it had the box with it, and attached was a sticky-note that said “still works”. I think it was the same brand we had. It made me smile. I wish I had brought it home, hooked it up, sat on the grey denim sofa and watched the colors move around this living room. Even if I were sad, I think it would have made me happy.


Elaine Hagenberg’s Arrangement of This Carol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0XfVqSiPDo

“O how lovely, O how pure is this perfect Child of heaven.”

Carol: He Is Born – Traditional French Carol
Tune: IL EST NE (18th Century French)

So many descriptors, so little time! We can’t seem to come up with enough words to describe the Little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay, can we… especially in our songs during this season? And that is a good thing. This incredible Gift is beyond description, yet we continue to make attempts to do just that.

This many-times-translated text from the French carol “He Is Born” captures three central, spot-on taglines for this Divine Christ Child: lovely, pure, perfect. Whatsoever things are… think on these.

During these days surrounding Christmas, we spend more time in our memory bank than at any other season it seems. Events that we have thought long-forgotten resurface and become once-again meaningful, taking us back to lovely, pure, more-perfect times.

One of those has come to me lately involving an early yuletide experience in Pigeon Forge. It was the year my two main gifts were a metal parking garage with elevator and circular ramp (three cars included) and my first piano – eight white notes with the black ones painted on. I was probably two years old, maybe three.

The distinct memory is that the pastor (Preacher Whaley) and his wife (Mrs. Preacher)… yes, that’s what we all called her!... were there when I opened my gifts. It was our tradition to open gifts on Christmas Eve, and for some reason the local clergy and spouse were in my family’s living room watching me jump up and down with delight with gifts that would prepare me for my life’s work – well, one of them would! (I did pump gas at a Sinclair station in high school if that counts.) It was a lovely, pure and near-perfect time in my life… an innocence to which I would love to return.

Our tree in that house sat in front of the same window from which a couple of years later I watched the Ku Klux Klan burn a cross in the neighbor’s yard across the street. So much for lovely, pure and perfect.

I’m glad Christmas and the Baby whose birth we celebrate during these days allows us to get past the struggles that have marred our long and winding way to where we are now – who allows us to cherish those childhood memories and try to figure out why in the world they come to mind -- and who provides us opportunities to restart our lives… to be lovely, pure and perfect in His sight, over and over again, year after year, Christmas after Christmas.

O lovely, pure and perfect Lord Jesus Christ, may we jump up and down with delight with the gifts you give us to prepare us to continue to minister. Amen.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzfCljfU180

“Love shall be our token… love to God and others.”

 

CAROL: “Love Came Down at Christmas”
Tune: GARTAN (Traditional Irish)
Text: Christina Rossetti (1885)

I used the “token” analogy earlier in "And all flesh shall see the token that God's word is never broken" from the carol “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People.” In THAT case, the token was one that God presented to US in a similar way that he put a rainbow in the sky.

THIS carol line is about OUR token… both to God and to our fellow persons – and that token will be love. At least it should be.

We all know the song “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” Indeed, they will; we are told that in the scriptures as well as in the songbooks. Jesus himself sings the same song in John 13:35.

According to Webster, in the later definitions of token, we find these:
· an outward sign or expression
· a small part representing the whole
· something given or shown as a guarantee

This love of Christ which came down to us at Christmas and comes to us again and again throughout our spiritual pilgrimage can truly be all of these:
· Perhaps if we see love as an outward expression of what we already experience, it will be a sign to all around us.
· Because we understand that God is love, we as His representatives are simply acting as a delegate of the whole body which beats with the Agape heart.
· We show the love of Christ as a guarantee to show in obvious and subtle ways that the love of Christ not only dwells in us, but it can’t help but seep out in every situation in which we find ourselves… not just the ones in which we TRY to act religious!

In these ways, during this season and throughout the year, the token we spend moment by moment… even without trying… will be love. And love shared with others is automatically a loving nod toward God. “Love shall be our token… love to God and others.”


From King’s College 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYLnbgh_l3A