For our Advent devotionals we are looking deeper at some of our favorite carols.
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 13:5-6
But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me
Today’s Carol: Good Christian Men, Rejoice
Good Christian men, rejoice With heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say: Jesus Christ is born today.
Man and beast before Him bow, And He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today, Christ is born today!
Good Christian men, rejoice With heart and soul and voice!
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Jesus Christ was born for this.
He has opened heaven’s door, And man is blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this, Christ was born for this!
Good Christian men, rejoice With heart and soul and voice!
Now ye need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save;
Call you one and calls you all, To gain His everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save, Christ was born to save!
Today’s Devotional
When I was in seminary I went to a Chapel Service on Wednesday morning in December. The music director was an old professor of Church Music who looked the part and led worship with a deep voice and large gestures. I remember him leading the students in this carol. However, before we started he instructed us to change “men” to “friends”. A reasonable request, I thought. But it did not go down well.
As soon as we started singing a group of guys (of course) right down front sang the word “men” as loud as they could. Soon the vast majority of the crowd were shouting “MEN!” every time we sang that part of the song.
I’m not really sure what their problem was. The language we use today is not the language of the 19th century when this song was translated from Latin. Singing “friends” kept the meaning while not unintentionally ignoring half the planet. And yet, for those guys in the seminary chapel it seemed to be too much.
I’ve thought a lot about that incident in my life and I’ve often wondered if those guys were so focused on their desire to scream “MEN!” into the seminary chapel air that they missed what the carol was saying. “Now ye need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save.” Maybe they got it. But in that moment, it sure seemed their priorities were somewhere else.
Often we can focus on things in our lives that seem important at the time – battles that we need to fight – words that we need to scream. But often those things we were all worked up about end up not being so important after all. It takes discernment to notice when we do this. And we all do it. But maybe today we take a step back and look at the big picture: “Christ is born” – that is what is really important.
Today’s Prayer
God, forgive us for those times that we focus on battles and injuries and resentments that in the end amount to nothing. Help us to discern what is important and where we should put our attention.
Amen
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