Music of Advent - Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

Third Week of Advent—Psalm 24

Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates by Georg Weissel, 1855

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
behold, the King of glory waits;
the King of kings is drawing near;
the Savior of the world is here!

I have been known to go a bit overboard on decorating the house for Christmas.  In recent years I have scaled it back a bit, not really because I find it prudent to do so, but because my children are grown and are no longer around to help me decorate.  Most years of my ministry I hold an open house at Christmas.  I do this so I can invite the church to come and see the parsonage that they lovingly provide.  I also do this because I like decorating for Christmas and I want others to see it. 

Right before the open house there is what can only be called a cleaning frenzy.  It’s part of the tradition of Christmas now.  Some people have spring cleaning, we have advent cleaning.  We prepare the house to receive honored guest and treasured friends.  I try to do this in plenty of time that I can de-frazzle before the guests arrive.  It wouldn’t do for the house to be perfect and my attitude to be poor.

This hymn echoes the words of Psalm 24, “Lift up your heads, O gates!  It is a call to prepare to receive the King, at his arrival.  Part of the preparation told about in the Psalm is the preparation of the people of the city to greet the coming King.  They should prepare themselves by having clean hands and pure hearts, to be loyal to what is true and to be trustworthy and true themselves.  I think this is a great message for Advent.  Prepare yourself to receive the coming King. 

Have clean hands, meaning do that which can be considered clean.  It is what we do, more than what we think.  Do you treat others honestly?  Do you steal?  Do you harm?  Have clean hands with which to receive the Lord.

You should have hearts that are pure, that does not think about all the bad, but think the thoughts of Philippians 4:8.  Dwell on the positive, rather than the negative.  See good in people and in yourself.

To receive the King well, we should focus on what is true, and not give loyalty (or attention) to what is false.  And we should not be false ourselves, meaning we do not gossip or pass along bad information.    I think this is an important part of preparing our hearts in our day and age of satire in the media and the perpetuation of false stories. 

Go to the extent to receive the Lord as you would to receive honored guests.  I find that once my guests arrive, I look at the house through the eyes of my guests.  I notice all those things I had not noticed before.  I forgot to dust the cobwebs from the corners.  That window blind has a slat that is askew.  The tile on the floor seems to be coming up just a little in that area over there.  I find this as much part of the process as anything.  Noticing what they notice.

How does that relate to preparing for the coming of Christ?  What would you start to see in your life that in the light of the Light of the World, and through the eyes of Jesus comes starkly into view.  What cobwebby corners have you neglected?  What in your life is askew and not in line with the teachings of the Christ child?  What areas need repair, need cleaning, need clearing out?

Lift up your heads, O Gates!  Give us clean hands and pure hearts!  Let us prepare for the coming of the Lord!

Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
   who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
   and do not swear deceitfully.  Psalm 24:4

Music of Advent - Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Week 2, Saturday—Matthew 1:18-24

Emmanuel, Emmanuel by Bob McGee, 1976

Emmanuel, Emmanuel

His name is called, Emmanuel

God with us, revealed in us

His name is called, Emmanuel

When we think about the God of the universe, we often think of a deity with supreme power, larger than life, invincible.  Then Advent rolls around year after year and tells us of a child born that shall be called “God with us.”  Suddenly our perspective changes and we ooh and coo like we would with any infant entering our world.

When I was fifteen, my niece was born—the first grandchild loved by one and all.  Even though I was old enough to babysit, I was given all the typical instructions on how to hold her.  “Keep her head up,” “Support her neck.” “Don’t drop her!”  I chuckle to think about how we fuss over the littlest of us.  This is how it should be; babies are vulnerable and fragile.  They are not capable of walking or feeding themselves.  They must be supported and hand fed for most of their first year.  They cannot defend themselves.

How can the God of the universe come as one so fragile?  How can the supreme deity, invincible and powerful, subject Godself to the whims of humanity?  What if the parents God chose to bear this child fail to keep the baby safe?  What about other children, who can be cruel?  What about powerful, evil rulers who enact decrees that can harm children and their families?  Why would God come in human flesh at all?

From the very beginning, God sought to be in relationship with creation and with humans instilled with the very image of the divine.  So much potential we have for good!  So much power we have for evil!  The God who desires relationship couldn’t let a little thing like flesh distance humanity from God.  No, God continues to seek out relationship with all of humanity.

The song, Emmanuel, Emmanuel, reflects the words of the angel in Matthew 1.  We sing “Emmanuel, God with us.”  The phrase after that is the line to which we do not give significant weight—”revealed in us.”  God is revealed in us!

God desires relationship with humanity and comes in the form of a fragile baby.  As we ooh and coo, we might remember the God who loves us so much, that God stepped into flesh to struggle, hunger, sweat, and tire along with us, and in the end, to die as well. 

Perhaps this child brings out the divine in all of us.  How are you revealing God remembering the child of the manger?

‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ 

Matt 1:23

Music of Advent - What Child is This

Week 2, Friday—Luke 1:51-53

What Child is This by William C. Dix, 1865

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.

This beautiful hymn of the babe of Bethlehem helps us keep things in perspective.  This child is not born in a palace, where boy kings might be found.  It was not in the home of the wealthy, where children of status might be found.  This child was found in hay, next to cows and donkeys.  This child was born to homeless, immigrant parents; his mother was most likely seen as a woman of questionable character.

This child was heralded by the angelic choir, but the angels missed a turn, because they ended up giving their Hallelujah Chorus concert to dirty, nomadic sheepherders, who slept with their livestock, something they had in common with the child of the stable.  And then this child’s royal guards were those same shepherds who left their flocks—their livelihood—and went to see what the angels had been singing about. 

This story is so upside down it is right-side up.  As Mary sang, “God has brought the lofty down and raised the lowly up.”  It is something we forget to notice when we talk about Jesus, King of Kings, Savior of the World, Majesty, Lord.  We like these titles because they make us feel like we are part of the in crowd.  There are even t-shirts for children that say “I am a child of a King,” which I think gives them entirely the wrong idea, unfortunately. 

In proper perspectives we are servants who follow an unemployed, drifter going from town to town proclaiming a radical message of rebellion.  He hung out with the poor, the unclean, the shady characters of his time.  You know, something we would frown upon from our lofty positions. 

This Christmas, let us remember the places once again.  The powerful are brought down, and the lowly shall be lifted.  Which place are you going to be?  This question is an important one that only you can answer for yourself.  Who do you side with when social justice issues arise?  When there are marginalized or oppressed peoples, where are you to be found?  While others are standing against injustice, what are you doing? 

What child is this that we follow?  May we prepare our hearts to receive the lowly child of the manger this Christmas.

He has brought down the powerful from

their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.
Luke 1:52

Music of Advent - Tell Out My Soul

Week 2, Thursday—Luke 46b-55

Tell Out My Soul  by Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1961

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

Tender to me the promise of  God’s Word;

In God, my Savior, shall my heart rejoice.

I cannot tell how many times I have extolled the greatness of God. I’m also ashamed to say I cannot tell how many times I have whined to God about the circumstances in my life.  I would suspect we all do that.  Praises when we are happy; complaints when we are not. 

Yet, here is Mary singing the greatness of God.  In this hymn I imagine her singing at the top of her lungs—much like Julie Andrews singing “...the hills are alive….with the sound of music.”  Only Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord...and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”  Oh, what would it be like for us to sing God’s praise with such reckless abandon, regardless of our circumstances. 

One time at a youth summer camp we were all gathered in the tabernacle with the camp band playing and the whole building was singing at the top of our lungs.  One young preacher that was working the camp also, came up beside me and with a big, beautiful grin on his face said, “I imagine this is what heaven will be like.”  I had to agree.  Singing praise with reckless abandon. 

This is a long way from some of the more uptight ways we worship.  I’m not talking about worship style, I’m talking about the spirit of the worship service.  Are we worshiping God? Or are we more concerned with the social aspect of a congregation?  I find that those who are worried about what others think tend to not worship with that uninhibited spirit that I believe Mary showed. 

This time of year we look at welcoming the child Jesus; God in human flesh.  This God living among humanity gives us cause to sing and praise and celebrate with wild joy the coming of the Lord.  Our souls cry out about how great our God is and we rejoice.  Let us celebrate the season only concerned with praising God, and not worry about what others think. 

And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
   and holy is his name. 

Luke 1:46-49

Music of Advent - My Soul Gives Glory to My God

Week 2, Wednesday—Luke 1:26-38

My Soul Gives Glory to My God by Miriam Therese Winter, 1987

My soul gives glory to my God, my heart pours out its praise.

God lifted up my lowliness in many marvelous ways.

Praise God whose loving covenant supports those in distress,

Remembering past promises with present faithfulness.

This hymn is the sweet song of Mary, the young unsuspecting girl who God chose to be the bearer of light and life—the very divine.  How her life would change!  While her immediate thought could have been of her reputation, she risked herself.  She could have been afraid of being shunned by her village, the pain of childbirth, or being alone, but she showed courage.  Of all of the many ways she could have responded to such a vision, she chose to respond in faith, and not only in faith, but in praise!

Mary is the point of pure innocence coming together with the divine in the best way possible.  I do not mean innocence in the sense of naïve, immature, and ignorant.  What I mean is the heart that is good seeing the good in others—the wisdom and gentleness Jesus spoke of in Matthew 10:16. 

At this point, in the story of God’s redemption, Mary is the sacrifice.  The hope for humanity rests with her.  Her obedience to God should not be understated.  Even after giving birth, her heart would be broken by the cruelty of the humanity her son would save, and her obedience would be rewarded by deep sorrow.  This does not seem fair. 

Then I think of all the other souls who have sacrificed for the sake of God’s redemption in the world.  We read stories of these people who willingly risk life, status, and reputation, and we applaud them all the while knowing we would never make that same sacrifice.  Today let’s remember Mary’s faithfulness that brought redemption to the humanity that would wound her very soul which gives glory to God eternally.

Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38