I offered our mission area a quiet day today. Sadly only four people came. We say even in churches we cannot do things like quiet days and study groups because we are too busy with Christmas. Haven’t we missed the point? God’s coming into the world is so huge we should make time to think about it. We need a dollop of theology not fripperies!
I got the four people who showed up to think about three songs in the incarnation narrative in Luke’s Gospel. Mary sings the Magnificat. It’s a radical political statement of God turning the world upside down. Zechariah sings the Benedictus, after his son John is born. That song has what is for me, the summary of the whole Gospel and the purpose of the Church: “in the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide out feet into the way of peace.”
Isn’t that what we need this Christmas?
Tender compassion.
A dawn breaking in upon us.
Dealing with the darkness and death.
Guiding our world leaders into the way of peace.
The third song we explored was the song of Simeon the elderly priest in the temple there as Jesus was presented to him. He can go in peace as he’s seen what he’s waited for for a long time. His eyes have seen salvation!
Mary and Zechariah and Simeon saw the divine coming. And they sang about it! A lot of carols are sung in these weeks. People who have no other encounter with God all year sing carols and sing the deepest theological statements possible. I wonder what we’d do if we were asked on a carol singing evening to the explain “lo he abhors not the virgins womb. Son of the Father, begotten not created.”?
They say Methodism was born in song. The early hymns were set to well known folk tunes so people could easily sing their faith. The charts and the shops are full of songs that Christmas schmaltz brings a different world. All I want for Christmas is… you!
There is much to sing about in this story of being saved. As this season goes on enjoy singing the story. And here’s something to ponder - how might you write the Magnificat and the Benedictus and the Nunc Dimmitis for today? The new song encountering a vulnerable in a child is worth a song or two… surely?
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