Christmas Devotional - Day 5

Silent Night

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace. A time for the world to stop and reflect on the gift that was given the world that first Christmas morning. No other song quite reflects that mood like Silent Night. It is a simple, elegant song. One whose melody soothes the soul. One who structure steps back from the soaring melodies and complex lyrics of so many other carols. It is not a roaring fire of praise. It is a simple candle of worship. It does not beckon us to come, or go, but to rest.
There is the great narrative of Christmas. Visiting angels, miraculous conceptions, long journeys, crowded inns, stables, shepherds, more angels, wise me, flights to Egypt. . .a dizzying, exhausting narrative. In the midst of all that chaos Josef Mohr has found a moment of peace and has taken a snapshot. The angels have made their announcement, but the shepherds have not yet come. In that stable is just the family. Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus. God the father in the light of that wondrous star. It is pure serenity. Almost any parent knows that time. Those first, precious moments together as a family between the pain of birth and the flood of visitors. That is the moment Mohr has captured. It is a moment of pure love, and one very close to the heart of God.
Psalm 46 urges “Be still and Know that I am God.” I don't know how well Mary and Joseph knew their psalms, or if that came to mind as they gazed with love into the face of their child. But for those few moments they were still and did know he was God. They looked at their Son, God's son the way any loving parents would look at a beloved child, with. Pure unfiltered love. The same way God the father looks at us.
It is hard to hear a still small voice when one is moving and caught up in the chaos of a holiday season. We are never still and the swirling chaos around us seems anything but small. Perhaps that is why Silent Night is so special. Why it was sung by both sides during the Christmas truce of WWI. Why it is usually the last song sung as we leave our services of Christmas eve. Why lights are dimmed and candles are lit. Why it is best sung at night either a Capella or with a single guitar. Much like the Christmas message itself, Silent Night does not fit our busy, worship band, overly lit light holiday world. It is too simple, too profound. That is why it is so needed. Like the peaceful beauty of that contented mother and her child alseep in the manger, it begs us look. Be still. Know He is God. This is Christmas; Christ the savior is born. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

~Tom Bates

Christmas Devotional - Day 4

My husband was floored to learn that this devotional was read at our church's staff meeting earlier this week. His response, "But there were pastors there!" Aside from being a gifted teacher, Tom is also a gifted leader. He was humbled to know that some of the people that lead him were being blessed by something he composed.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Few songs come with a better pedigree than Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Words by Charles Wesley with music by Felix Mendelssohn taken from a cantata he wrote celebrating the 400th anniversary of the creation of Gutenberg's printing press. With a bloodline like that it is no wonder that “Hark” may be the most theologically rich of the Christmas carols. Not to mention my favorite.
In the great buffet of Christmas songs, Hark the Herald Angels sing is the carving station. This is no theological salad bar; healthy but not satisfying. Nor is it the empty caloried, but tasty, dessert tray. It is thick, meaty, rich, and satisfying. Theological Prime Rib. Protein for the soul.
Wesley starts with with standard images of singing angels (never mind the Bible never actually says they sang. We'll assume they did.) By the end of verse three he's in the Gospel of John talking about being born again (born to give them second birth). By verse four he's in Genesis invoking the earliest mention of the coming messiah with seed of woman bruising the serpents head, restoring not only mankind but all of creation. By verse 5 he's in 1 Corinthians talking about Jesus as the second Adam here to remove the curse by becoming cursed. The messiah come to atone for the fall. Through one sin entered the world and through one the world can be saved.
Newborn King, Offspring of a Virgin's Womb, Prince of Peace, Desire of Nations, Everlasting Lord, Emmanuel, Incarnate Deity, Second Adam, Healer, Giver of life. Wesley's Christ is fleshed out, full, and powerful. Pleased to lay aside his heavenly place to come and redeem a fallen creation. The creator of the universe veiled in mortal flesh.
We all have a favorite description of Jesus that directly reflects the Jesus who means most to us: Friend of Sinners, Healer, Savior, Son of God, Son of Man, the Lamb who is Worthy and so forth. The real Jesus, of course, is all of those things and much, much more. Our brains cannot comprehend all he is, so our words cannot express it. That is why Wesley wished for a thousand tongues. Why Watts was humbled before the wondrous cross and Newton wept at His amazing grace. And that is why we sing. Hoping the music will make up for the inadequacy of our words.
God's love is always there, but certain times of the year, it staggers us. Christmas is one of those times. To think that the Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One, Son of God, Son of Man, Creator of the Universe, Alpha & Omega, Savior of Mankind etc, etc.. . . was all contained in that baby born in a stable in Bethlehem. Born that man no more may die. All because he loved us. That is why Wesley asks. us to join with the Angelic hosts in proclaiming Glory to the New Born King.. O' for a thousand tongues. . . . .

~Tom Bates

Christmas Devotional - Day 3

We Three Kings

We Three Kings is a manly Christmas song, for it speaks not of virgins, angels, or shepherds, but of a quest. It is Lord of the Rings with gifts and a star. The story of the 3 kings even has several ingredients of a classic Fantasy novel. It has mysterious wise men who read ancient texts and watched for the coming of the chosen one. Then, when the signs were right they set off on their quest, braving great distance, burning deserts, and an evil king. All the time following the trail of a mysterious star. The stuff of epics for sure. There's even an epic sized battle at the end of the book.
Of course they weren't kings. And we don't even know for sure there were three of them. One legend claims there were twelve. And, despite Christmas pageants everywhere, they were definitely NOT there at the manger. He was probably around 2 years old when the arrived. Ironically enough, this song was written for a Christmas pageant in NYC in 1857. History has assigned them names in the middle ages: Melchoir, King of Arabia, who brought gold; Gaspar, King of Tarsus, whom brought myrrh; and Balthasar, King of Ethiopia, whom brought frankincense. But those are probably fictional.
So what can we learn from these unnumbered, unnamed, vaguely titled men? Much. These foreigners recognized the signs of the birth of the Messiah when the Jewish priests did not. Those whose job it was to watch were caught sleeping. They were so busy trying to be God's servants they forgot about serving God. These wise men weren't quite the rocks and stones crying out, but in some Jewish eyes, they might have been close. Jesus would later warn about the importance of watching and waiting.
Their quest also speaks to the preciousness of the Gospel. Those men journeyed as they did not to conquer, but to be conquered, not to gain earthly treasure, but to give treasure. Theirs was a quest to worship the king of kings. Unknown to them, their worship began not when they found the Christ, but when they first began to watch for his coming. Like any good quest, they were drawn, not pushed on their journey. Drawn to find the child. Drawn like the shepherds before them and the countless numbers after them. Drawn not just by the light of a mysterious star in the Bethlehem sky, but by He who is the light of the world. He who is still leading, still proceeding, still guiding to that perfect light..

~Tom Bates

Christmas Devotional - Day 2

What Child is This?

Written to the tune “Greensleeves," What Child is This is not only one of the most melodically beautiful Christmas Carols, but, if some stories are to be believed, it is also historically rich with violent irony involving a betrayed queen and a crucified savior.
Anne Boleyn was a popular queen and the second wife of Henry VIII. He began his affair with her while still married to his first wife Catherine of Aragon (and after having an affair with Anne's sister Mary). Anne at first spurned Henry's advances. It was during that phase of their relationship he allegedly wrote the lyrics for Greensleeves “alas my love you do me wrong to cast me out discourteously," etc. He would put the words to a popular melody of the time. Henry would create his own church, divorce Catherine, marry Anne, then eventually accuse her of adultery and treason. Anne would be executed for her crimes. (The unfortunate second of six in the the divorced, beheaded, etc.)Brought to trial on lies and trumped up charges, she was betrayed by one who claimed to love her and executed as public spectacle.
It would be to that same lovely 16th century melody that William Dix would use for his words in 1865. Aside from the standard Christmas scenes of shepherds, angels and donkeys Dix also jolts the senses. “Swords, nails shall pierce him through the cross be borne for me and you” Swords? Nails? Crosses? Where's my baby Jesus who doesn't cry? No wonder we rarely see these words in our modern hymnals. It runs against the “peace on earth and good will toward men” sterilized Christmas. Crucifixion, at least in my book, does not fall into the peace and good will category.
But of course it does speak to the heart of the issue and the real reason Jesus was born in the first place. He was born to die. Swords, nails, crosses, the whole deal. The Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world. Brought to trial on lies and trumped up charges. Betrayed by one who claimed to love him. Executed as public spectacle. Only to rise 3 days later. All for us. There is no melody sweeter. Hail Hail the word made flesh the babe the son of Mary.

~Tom Bates

Christmas Devotional - Day 1

*My husband was in charge of leading the faculty and staff's morning devotions last week, and appropriately he chose a different Christmas hymn for each day. If you aren't familiar with the lyrics they can be found at cyberhymnal.org. I couldn't make it through one of them without tearing up. He's such a gifted teacher and I'll think you'll see why....*

O' Little Town of Bethlehem

I grow more convinced that much of our view of the events surrounding Christmas come not from Scripture, but from the hymns. “O' little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie above thy deep and dreamless streets the silent stars go by." Still? Dreamless maybe, but not still. This was census time. The streets were probably full of late arrivals, who, like Mary and Joseph were looking for a place to spend the night. Doors were being knocked on, windows shouted to, people and animals moved through the streets.
The night was anything but peaceful and silent for Mary and Joseph. Childbirth never is. Assuming of course that Jesus, in the words of Harry Chaplin “came into the world in the usual way.” No, there was pain, fear, and ultimately cries limitless joy. There was also all the smells and discomforts that came with spending the night, and giving birth in a stable.
The shepherds, who no doubt were hoping for a quiet night free from predators and wandering sheep, were the ones who had their world really shaken. Angels, lights, and heavenly hosts proclaiming messianic births were definitely not on the evenings agenda, but then miraculous doings rarely are.
I think our images of a tranquil evening in a sleepy little town have more to do with the promise of “peace on earth, Good will to men” than is does with Bethlehem being quiet that night. Even more so it has to do with the peace that comes not from Jesus being born in Bethlehem, but with us being born again in Him. When God imparts to Human hearts the wonders of His heaven. It is the peace of a life in Christ that brings to mind those tranquil feelings and images more so than the reality of a still, quiet Bethlehem.

~Tom Bates