1. Willie, get your little drum,
Robin, bring your flute and come.
Aren’t they fun to play upon?
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan;
When you play your fife and drum,
How can anyone be glum?
2. When the men of olden days
Gave the King of Kings their praise,
They had pipes to play upon.
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan;
And also the drums they’d play,
Full of joy, on Christmas Day.
3. God and man today become
Closely joined as flute and drum.
Let the joyous tune play on!
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan;
As the instruments you play,
We will sing, this Christmas Day.
~Bernard de La Monnoye 17th century
…Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. ~John 13:31-32
The incarnation of God as Man is far more profound than the joining of flute and drum to make joyous music.
We historically have trivialized the birth of Jesus to scale it to a size more comfortable for our limited comprehension.
Little drummer boys, kindly oxen, loyal donkey, cute angels, lots of tu-re-lus and pat-a-pans.
The reality is: nothing is the same as it was– a big bang –but this one has happened in our hearts.
By coming and joining to us, God changed everything and changed us.
Jesus, Jesus, rest your head.
You has got a manger bed.
All the evil folk on earth
Sleep in feathers at their birth.
Jesus, Jesus, rest your head.
You has got a manger bed.
1. Have you heard about our Jesus?
Have you heard about his fate?
How his mammy went to the stable
On that Christmas Eve so late?
Winds were blowing, cows were lowing,
Stars were glowing, glowing, glowing.
2. To the manger came the Wise Men.
Bringing from hin and yon,
For the mother and the father,
And the blessed little Son.
Milkmaids left their fields and flocks
And sat beside the ass and ox.
~Appalachian Carol
40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 1Corinthians 15: 40-42
There is splendor in the humility of an earthly body sleeping on straw in a feed trough, so vulnerable, so frail, so perishable. There is splendor that even the stars glowed brighter knowing this Star had fallen to earth.
Glowing, glowing, never ever gone.
1. What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
2. Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
3. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcomeit.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John1:1-5, 14Most Christians grew up singing this beautiful carol to the tune “Greensleeves” not really thinking about the profound words in the second verse. This is the shadow of the cross over the manger and the reason for Advent: the Word made Flesh, pleading for our salvation, dying so that we may live, shining His light in our darkness. There is nothing that says it more clearly than this hymn, so familiar, so full of His grace and truth.
1. My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?
Refrain
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn!
2. Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn.
3. From the halls of power to the fortress tower,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
ev’ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn.
4. Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God’s mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound,
‘Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around. ~by Rory Cooney, Canticle of the Turning (a version of the Magnificat)
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; Luke 1: 50-51
He, only He, can turn our world around with his mighty arm. He, only He, knows how and when the turning will happen.
He, only He, came to us to save us from ourselves and will return again
as we continue to betray His Word,
as we turn away from Him even when He seeks us out from the manger and from the cross.
Awa yi o ri Baba gbo jule
Awa yi o ri Baba fehenti
Nibo labi Jesu,
nibo lagbe bii
Betelehemu ilu ara,
nibe labi Baba o daju
Iyin, nifuno
Adupe fun o, jooni,
Baba olo reo
Iyin, fun o Baba anu, Baba toda wasi
We are glad that we have a Father to trust.
We are glad to have a Father to rely upon.
Where was Jesus born?
Where was he born?
Bethlehem the city of wonder.
That is where the Father was born for sure.
Praise, Praise, Praise be to Him
We thank Thee, We thank Thee for this day,
Gracious Father.
Praise be to Thee, Merciful Father.
Nigerian Carol
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15
O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum
O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum
Ut animalia viderent Dominum natum
Viderent Dominum natum
Jacentem in proesepio, jacentem in proesepio
O beata virgo, cujus viscera me ruerunt portare
Dominum Jesum Christum
Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. 1Timothy 3:16
Perhaps it is the mystery of the thing that brings us back, again and again, to read the story.
How can this be? God appearing on earth first to animals, then the most humble of humans.
How can He be? Through the will of the Father and the breath of the Spirit, the Son was, and is and yet to be.
There is silence around me in the peaceful winter night.
From the church down in the valley I can see the candlelight.
And I stopped for a moment in this winter paradise,
When I heard a choir singing through the darkness and the ice.
And the rays from the lights behind the window’s vaulted frames,
Have united the souls in hope that something great is waiting.
And I know that those who have left us here had the same thoughts as I.
We’re like flames in the darkness and stars up in the sky.
And I can see how they sparkle, and they fade before my eyes.
And the truth is coming closer like a wonder in disguise.
We are caught here a moment like an imprint of a hand,
On an old and frosted window or a footprint in the sand.
For a while I’m eternal, that’s the only thing I know,
I am here and we share our dreams about our destination.
It is cold out here, and the snow is white but I am warm deep inside,
I am warm ’cause I know that my faith will be my guide.
Now there is silence around me, I have heard those words again,
In a hymn of grace and glory, saying: nothing is in vain!
I can sing- and believe it, let the message reach the sky.
Oh silent night, let your promise never die!
And I long for the others, it is peaceful in the church.
He was born for a reason, and that’s why we’re here together.
Holy night, I feel like a child inside, and believe He was sent.
So I’m lighting a candle each Sunday in Advent.
~English translation of the Swedish carol Koppången
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 2
8 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven,
“I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28
There are so many people on earth who have never known what it is like to be part of a body of believers who worship together
through thick and thin, good times and ugly times, through disagreements and joyful reconciliation,
even if we would rather be doing something else on a Sunday.
Sometimes we are troubled and want to be saved from the responsibility and accountability
of being part of Christ’s body, of showing up and following through with our part of God’s covenant with His people.
Yet that is why He came to us, when we were in our most dire need and turning away.
He showed up because He was sent, He followed through even when He had doubts,
He came for a reason and purpose
to glorify the Father,
to show us the Father in the Flesh,
His Flesh.
Thank you to Carla Arnell for sharing this lovely Swedish hymn.
“‘We would have healed Babylon,
but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to our own land,
for her judgment reaches to the skies,
it rises as high as the heavens.’
10 “‘The Lord has vindicated us;
come, let us tell in Zion
what the Lord our God has done.’
Jeremiah 51: 9-10
Even when I am weary,
one foot in front of the other
in the humble chores of the barn,
so cold I no longer
remember what was
once sweaty summer work,
now hands aching in an arctic wind
that shows no mercy.
I know respite comes, refuge is near.
I will remember what our good God
has prepared for us in such a place as this,what He has done to bring us home
when we are aching for Him.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee one by one
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee two by two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee three by three
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee four by four
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee five by five
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee six by six
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee seven by seven
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee eight by eight
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
And one for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee nine by nine
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee ten by ten
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee eleven by eleven
Eleven for the eleven deriders
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee twelve by twelve
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
Eleven for the eleven deriders
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
And one for the little bitty, baby
Who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem
He was born, born, born in Bethlehem
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
~Traditional Gospel
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. John 20:21
Barnstorming 