angels

Mary’s Christmas Carol

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And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,  Luke 1:46-47

From the very beginning Christmas seems to be intertwined with music and song. In the Biblical story leading up to the birth of Jesus everyone seems to be singing. Elizabeth sings, angels sing, and even Mary herself has a song. How many of the Christmas carols can you sing by heart without even a glance at a song sheet? Whether it is one or a thousand, each song had to take a journey from the lips of your mother, a church choir or a group of carolers outside your door, till it took up residence in your heart. In some mysterious way those carols have become your songs.

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For the young Virgin Mary her song had traveled the journey from the moment she heard the greeting of the angel Gabriel, till the first cry of Jesus in the manger. With each passing day she was learning new verses, hearing deeper harmonies and sensing more fully its tempo. In the same way we who have Christ living in us are learning day by day a little more of His song in our lives. If we are straining to hear we will hear his melody in the voice of the needs of others. When we are listening we will hear the gentle rhythm of those by our side blending with the harmony of God’s grace carrying us through hardships. If we are willing then note by note, and one measure at a time the Christmas song of heaven will become our own.

 

 

How Will We Come?

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And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  Luke 2:12 KJV

Try to imagine how the shepherds reacted after hearing the angel’s message, then being astonished at a crowd of more angels suddenly appearing in song. Can you picture with me sandaled feet eagerly tripping over rocks and roots along the dark pathway leading down into the village? Can you hear them eagerly urging one another on as they rush towards the stable filled with animals, hay and one small child?

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And how will we come? Will we shower and shave, then carefully pick out our finest new clothes for the church service? Will we slowly decide which tie best fits the mood for Christmas? Have we shined our shoes and carefully combed our hair? Where is the desperate flight towards the place of Jesus? Where is the longing to see if it is just as the angel said? How are we to come to the manger this year? Will it be just another soft sleek and memorable Christmas or will we join the earnest footsteps of the shepherds thundering down the trail to the manger. If we were to come in all our regal best would we even recognize Him, the very Son of the Highest lying quietly among cows and sheep and wrapped in swaddling cloths?

Songs of Christmas

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“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation            Luke 1:46-50

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Christmas is about the songs God gives. Mary sang her song when she heard the news of the Child who was to be born. God sent a song with angels for shepherds and light for people in darkness. God chose Bethlehem, the city of the shepherd David whose songs make up the book of Psalms.  I know a little of the darkness of barns and remember walking every morning to the barn across our dirt road long ago.  I would first light a little stub of a candle and put it on the beam near the stall. Then I would put a little corn and hay into the feed-trough and gently wash the cow with the warm water that I had brought over in the milk pail. In a quiet and humble place just like that, our Lord Jesus was born among cattle and hay with maybe a barn cat or two to observe the scene. A young woman named Mary was giving birth in the stable with only Joseph by her side. In that moment the air was pierced by the music of the cry of one child who came to give His life for our world. If we tune our ears we will find that we can still hear that song of hope from the stable of Bethlehem 2000 years ago.