CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

December 21, 2003

LET’S CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR:

Our congregation                                                        The Stolte’s in Germany

Our nation, leaders and military                                 Bob Stolte

Holiday travelers                                                        David and Leon in the Navy

various friends, relatives and co-workers

EVENTS:                                                 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Today - Pot Luck

December 24^th - no meeting

December 31^st - New Year’s Eve party at the Cruthirds

THE SONGS ABOUT ANGELS

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

Two other songs that address the appearance and announcement of the angels at the birth of Christ are Angels from the Realms of Glory and Angels We Have Heard On High.  Both songs emphasize the birth of the Messiah and challenges all to seek Him in Bethlehem. 

The first compares the angels who have “sang creation’s story now proclaim Messiah’s birth.”  To the shepherds the song challenges them.  “God with man is now residing.”  Scripture teaches us that.  Yet today this is still a challenge.  The wise men are told to “leave your contemplation” and to “Seek the great Desire of nations, Ye have seen His natal star.”  One aspect of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, is that people came seeking Jesus.  The shepherds came at the angels announcement and the wise men or Magi because of a star.  All are asked to “Come and worship, Worship Christ, the new born King.”  That continues to be asked today; to seek out and worship the King of kings.

The second song also asks the shepherds to seek out the Messiah.  It begins with the song of the angels.

        “Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains;

         And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains.”

The second stanza asks questions.

        “Shepherds, why this jubilee?  Why your joyous strains prolong?

         What the gladsome tidings be Which inspire your heav’nly song?

Those would be questions that I think that they would have asked.  What is the purpose of this?  And going to see this baby, why?  What is so special about Him?  Whatever it was, they did two things.  They told others and they returned to their flocks praising and glorifying God.  The song captures this in the third stanza.

        “Come to Bethlehem, and see Him whose birth the angels sing;

         Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.”

The shepherds went to Bethlehem.  Now keep in mind, this was at night.  They did not have street lights.  Most in Bethlehem were probably asleep.  Bethlehem wasn’t a big place; it was a small little hamlet.  There might have been more than one manger or stall to look in and I’m sure these shepherds, being excited, were not quiet.  How many people did they wake up?  What noise did they make when they found Jesus, Mary and Joseph?  Remember, this was a stable, a animal shelter but not necessarily a barn.  Open to the air, they probably woke up people as they gathered around.  What a sight!

        “See Him in a manger laid, Whom the choirs of angels praise;

         Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, While our hearts in love we raise.”

Like the first song, this song ends in praise.  “Gloria in excelsis Deo!”

As I have said in the past, we often get wrapped up in several things around this holiday we call Christmas.  First, the holiday itself.  It is not found in scripture.  While true, the announcement by the angels was a joyous announcement and the birth of Christ has much to teach us (read Unveiling Glory - to be reviewed next week).  God came into this world to rescue us from sin and give us redemptive fellowship.  It is an important aspect of the life of Christ and singing about it is not wrong.  So if we choose, either individually or congregationally, to celebrate this day, we have the freedom to do so as long as we do not make it a command or law (see Romans 14).

Second, people miss the meaning of the day and the humility of it as well when they spend so much time stressing over unimportant things such as gifts and parties, thinking they are important.  As such people will sing the carols and miss what they are saying.  Too often it is selfishness that rules the holiday.  At other times it’s what people think.  That is not what the birth of Christ is about.  It’s about God’s love for us.

Finally, there are many Christmas songs but few are timeless.  Only about twenty fit into that category.  The last one that fits this category is I Wonder as I Wander.  The Twentieth Century has produced mostly secular songs and a host of religious songs that just have not caught on.  The most recent that might have a chance is Mary, Did You Know?  Because of our attitude or theology toward Christmas in general, we have basically ignored the timeless carols.  Those carols however say much about who Jesus is and why He came.  They talk about who He is, God coming into the world.  They talk about His purpose, born to die for the sins of the world.  A few address the resurrection.  Go and read or listen carefully to the words of such songs as “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, What Child Is This?, God, Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and even “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”  There is just a lot of good theology in these songs.  Getting people to pay attention to them at this time of the year might get people to pay attention to Jesus throughout the year.  Yes, many are focused on gifts and shopping but we can use this as an opportunity to say something about Jesus and why He came.

                                                                                                       George B. Mearns