This is the season of glory and praise. We have been hearing songs that direct our attention to the praise and glory of God. There is so much music in the season. The Christmas music will stop on the radio now! But Christmas will go on until January 6th. There are various Christmas songs that stand out for me. The thing I remember about Christmas is the sound of an album playing Christmas music on the sound system. I remember the sound of the needle on the album. I actually have my mom’s 78’s that play (sing) “I’m Dreaming of a white Christmas” Actually I’m dreaming of a fixed snow blower after mine died last weekend. I also have the 33’s from my mom and the Elvis Christmas album that was my mom’s favorite. I still recall, (sing) “In the ghetto, and his mamma cries…”
All the Christmas songs we’ve heard on the radio since Halloween point to the glory and praise of God. Well most of them do that we sing. The music of Christmas points us back to God. Silent Night speaks of “glories stream from heaven afar.” Joy to the World refers to the “glories of his righteousness.” Angels From the Realms of Glory includes it in the title. Angels We Have Heard on High, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.” (Sing) Take a deep breath and sing it with me, “Glooooooooooooooria, In Excelsis Deo.” I also have on tape Handles Messiah with the (sing) “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to god in the highest; and peace on earth.” That was an anthem!
A farmer who lived in a small town was in his church choir. That choir one day traveled to a big church to sing. They had a large chorus that sang an anthem. When he got home, he told his wife that he learned the difference between an anthem and a hymn. “We sing hymns here at home. If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn, Amen,’ that would be a hymn. But if I were to say, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, the cows--the big cows, the little cows, the black cows, the red cows, the green cows, all the cows, all the cows, all the cows-- are in the corn, the corn, the corn, the corn, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,’ -THAT would be an anthem!”[1]
Everyone had been marching to the beat of the tune that Emperor Augustus had established with his declaration. Joseph and Mary were marching to a different tune, a quiet rhythm that God had set in their hearts that the
Then an angel from God’s choir announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds – simple men. This was no grand anthem or loud proclamation to all but to a few lowly men who were probably the ones who provided lambs for the temple sacrifice. The one unnamed angel tells them about the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. They were afraid. The angel told them to BE NOT AFRAID FOR I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS!
Then a group of angles came to the shepherds and they praised God. It doesn’t say that they actually sang a song! But the say these familiar words: Glory to God in the highest – and peace to God’s people on earth! = Gloria in Excelsis Deo. The word glory occurs over 400 times in the Old Testament – It denotes God’s awesome splendor and majesty! After each musical composition J. S. Bach would write S. D. G. "Soli Deo Gloria" "To God Alone be the Glory."[2]
First there was just one angel affirming the central role of the birth of this child who will be the savior of the world. Then Cool and the Gang showed up to say AMEN! The angelic multitude has the angels back. The heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the Highest and peace to God’s people on earth!
Then the heavenly Chorus testified to the truth about God that the one angel proclaimed. They are reinforcements for the one angel. Just in case you not going to listen to one angel, here is a bunch. Then the shepherds do a few things. In verse 1 they talked to each other: did you just hear that song on the airwaves? Did you hear what I heard? Then they found the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph; Mary must have hummed the tune in her heart. Then they reported of the angelic visitors; telling them what they had scene and heard. Finally, they returned to the fields praising and glorifying God, singing a tune that just got stuck in their heads. Their praise of God for the birth of Christ stands out to the shepherds who didn’t have an ipod or boom-box in the quiet hills of
The glory of God so presents his reality that sin is described as “falling short of the glory of God “(Rom 3:23). We gather to call out to God. We pray for God’s grace and God’s glory and mercy shows up. We sing at Christmas these songs of God’s glory because they point the way to the most important element of the holy-days – the glory of God in Christ! We don’t sing our own praises.
The glory and praise of God reminds us that God is present even when we don’t feel like singing a song. We remember what 2 Corinthians 4:17 states, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." We recall that in Romans 8:17-18, it declares, “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God". We recall that heaven is the place where Jesus is the Lamb of God – who receives glory, honor and might! We wait for the manifestation of the glory of Christ one day, to gather with those who are singing the praises and glory of God all together.
We gather this night with the chorus of faith to affirm the message of the solitary angel. When we can’t sing alone, the chorus of faith is still ringing out to us. All those who have gone on before us join in the chorus of faith that sings during this season and glory and praise!
Let us pray
[1] From The Dynamic Classic Preaching Treasury 1991-2001; Paul Blom E-zine: Teresa’s Jokers, http://www.eGroups.com/list/jo-jokers
[2] http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/bul/christm.html
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