CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
December 12, 2004
PRAY FOR:
Our congregation Our college students
Our nation, military and leaders David and Leon in the Navy
Various relatives, friends and co-workers
Our sympathy is extended to Yevette and her family at the death of her mother last Sunday afternoon. The funeral was in Smyrna, Tennessee on Thursday. She will be returning home this evening.
EVENTS:
December 25- Christmas
January 1 - New Year’s
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:17).
Go Tell It On The Mountain is a traditional African-American spiritual. As such, there are a number of different verses so that each song book might have a different verse or phrase. While a spiritual, it was popular among folk singers in the late 50s and early 60s. I have one version by The Kingston Trio. We might not consider it a Christmas song if a word or two is changed but that doesn’t diminish its importance.
“When I was a learner, I sought both night and day. I ask the Lord to help me and he showed me the way” Seeking God is an important theme in scripture. The books of Chronicles have a major emphasis the idea of seeking God. The Jews had returned from Babylonian captivity and wondered if God would accept them. The author of the Chronicles illustrated their concerns with stories of those who sought the Lord and were found by them. In Acts 17, Paul told some Athenian philosophers that God can be found by those seeking Him. As a Negro spiritual, one only has to look back at the times of slavery in our country and see how some would be seeking freedom, or having being freed, seeking knowledge. They sought it from God.
“While shepherds kept their watching, O’er wand' ring flock by night, Behold! from out of heaven, There shown a holy light.” When one considers this and other verses in this spiritual, one can see the connection between it and the Psalms. Songs were sung to tell a story, whether of lament or victory. Even today, some of our songs tell the story. This spiritual is telling the story of the birth of Jesus in song. It was one way to remember what they have been taught, or were seeking to be taught as stated in verse one.
“The shepherds feared and trembled when, lo! Above the earth rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth. And lo, when they had seen it, They all bowed down prayed; Then they traveled on together, to where the Babe was laid Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.” Again, the song is telling the story of the birth of Jesus. However, added to that is an important theme in the life of Jesus: humility. Salvation comes in humility; and how we need to see this. Look at what the commercialism of the seasons says. Get the “right”, gift to be praised, or promoted, or honored. What’s in it for me? “Do you like what I got you?” Why would we
ask that? To receive the praise of people? Somehow, in all of this, we miss what this spiritual grasps; humility. We are too interested in who is number one, the college football bowl season, the conclusion of the NFL season, the bonuses, and a host of other things. Humility isn’t one of them. The day after Thanksgiving is a day of shopping madness that is the exact opposite of the meaning of the day before or the day coming. People become selfish and greedy, wanting, and angry if they do not get what they want. Children are asked, or ask, to make a list, and then expect that they will get just what they wanted. And if not, one might expect a temper tantrum. Unfortunately, children grow to be adults who then expect God to be Santa Claus, giving them what they selfishly ask for and throwing a tantrum if they don’t get their way. Maybe we need to sing this spiritual, written by people who didn’t have “things” but life.
“He made me a watchman, Upon the city wall, And if I am a Christian I am the least of all.” Wow! What a statement! A watchman had the responsibility to watch the countryside. He would warn the city if danger approach. Ezekiel had that responsibility to warn Israel of its sinfulness. But the watchman also would report joyous events as well. It might be the visit of a famous person or the return of a victorious army. The watchman’s importance was in watching and reporting, nothing else. Our importance is in the proclamation of the Messiah, the Christ, not ourselves. In humility we serve the King. Our King came in humility, lived in humility, died in humility, and was raised in humility. That is our life.
“Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere, go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.” There it is. Proclamation! The message is the King. He is the One we are to proclaim. Oh how we miss it sometimes. It is not about me but Jesus, and my relationship to Him in humility. This spiritual is a great song, one that reminds us of a humble birth long ago that started a revolution that changed the hearts and minds of millions. What a story to tell!
George B. Mearns