It seems to me that "the people who walked in darkness... those who lived in a land of deep darkness..." describes our condition pretty well. I am thinking of weaving in the words of the carol,"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." It was the darkness of poverty and the hopelessness of life in the city, along with the threat of civil war, that caused the writing of this hymn. The second verse, which does not appear in the hymn, is poignant for our own darkness today:
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world hath suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing! (from Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas- Ace Collins)
We need the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace to bring light to our darkness.
Tom of MO
Thanks, Tom, for your timely quotation. I will also use a quote about The church of the Nativity becoming a beleaguered fortress this year. Luke is saying this baby accomplishes the end goals that a military army might have. (cf Luke 1:51-53 and 1:69-71) yet how can this be--a defenseless baby?
-AEA
I have only about 5-10 minutes to deliver a devotion on Christmas Eve, because of all the special music. I'm thinking that I'll give a quick, thumbnail sketch of the history behind this pericope and note that Christians have adopted this same language in describing what Jesus does for us. I've found a large, heavy yoke in the woods near my parsonage. I'm going to hold it up (for a moment!) and note how difficult it would be to break. Yet, if we look back on the year behind us, many of us can see how Jesus has helped us to "break" something that's been really hard to bear. I'll give an example in my own life, but I'm sure I won't have enough time to ask the congregation to share their own broken yokes. But, since I'm really not sure how much time I'll be left with, this approach should enable me to preach without notes, and check the clock as I go. If the anthems and solos go faster than I think, then perhaps a few people can share. My experience in this church is that the children pick up on a dialogical approach faster than the adults do, and they often share some pretty powerful stuff! Thanks, Tom of MO, for that insight from "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." That's so timely that it almost cries out to be shared!
MTSOfan
Just to set the record straight....
The third verse of "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982 (Hymn 89) reads thusly:
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long;
beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and warring humankind hears not
the tidings when they bring:
O hush the noise and cease your strife
and hear the angels sing!
I was puzzled by Tom's comment that the verse is not in the hymn as published. It's been in the version published in Anglican hymnals all along. (Some editor obviously "up-dated" and "de-genderized" the language for the current hymnal.)
It is a timely verse! In connection with this pericope, it suggests that the world needs to reconsider these traditional prophetic names for God, names given by Christians to Jesus of Nazareth: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. If we were to hear the angels sing, listen to his counsel, follow his way of peace, the world would be a much better place.
Blessings, Eric in KS
