Uplook - December 16, 2023
Dear Seattle Saints,
It’s a sunny Saturday in December which we do not take for granted and the temperature is above average for the month. Such clear skies bring to mind the lyrics of a Carol sung often this time of year. It was a poem written by Edmond Hamilton Sears in 1849 and set to music by Richard Storrs Willis a student of Felix Mendelson.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men, From Heav’n’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heav’nly music floats O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains, They bend on hov’ring wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has 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;
Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife And hear the angels sing.
And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing.
Oh, rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!
For lo! the days are hast’ning on, By prophet seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years Shall come the time foretold
When Christ shall come and all shall own The Prince of Peace, their King,
And saints shall meet Him in the air, And with the angels sing.
There is lots of good theology in this carol as with many hymns. Consider “the glorious song of old” …suggesting the nature of redemption with Jesus “slain from the foundation of the world”. Isaiah said “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…” and the first and last verses remind us that Christ was brings peace with both His first and second advent. That our world is broken by sin is clearly evident in lyrics like “weary world”, “sad and lowly plains”, “Babel sounds”, “woes of sin and strife”, “suffered long” man at war with man”, “crushing load”, “bending low”, and “painful steps”. And yet a message of hope and awe at Christ’s incarnation at the first Advent and bodily return at the second Advent wind throughout the entire carol.
Consider laying in “solemn stillness to hear the angels sing” over the cacophonous noise of our world, the “love song” which God sent us all in the person of Jesus. And when the “crushing load” which bends us low seems too be too much, “Look now! For glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing”. We have hope of the Lord’s soon return, when we will meet Him in the air. Until then may we “rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing!”
Housekeeping notes:
Choir Program – Our Adult Choir will present “A Christmas Offering” in tomorrow's morning service. Be sure to join us in person if you are able and online if not.
Carols & Candles – Tomorrow night at 5 pm we will celebrate our annual Carols & Candles service. We all look forward to this simple time of worship and reflection on Christ’s birth.
Bible Study – We will have our final Bible Study of the year on Wednesday, December 20 at 7 pm.
Year End schedule - December 24 and 31 – Sunday School and Morning Worship ONLY
Card Box – The Christmas card box in the narthex is for those who worship in person regularly. Please use mail for cards to those unable to be in services in person.
Year-end contributions – Cash contributions must be received by 12/31/23. Checks must be dated no later than 12/31/23 and received in person or by mail no later than January 14, 2024. Online contributions should be made no later than 12/31/23.
God bless us every one.
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
It’s a sunny Saturday in December which we do not take for granted and the temperature is above average for the month. Such clear skies bring to mind the lyrics of a Carol sung often this time of year. It was a poem written by Edmond Hamilton Sears in 1849 and set to music by Richard Storrs Willis a student of Felix Mendelson.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men, From Heav’n’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heav’nly music floats O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains, They bend on hov’ring wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has 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;
Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife And hear the angels sing.
And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing.
Oh, rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!
For lo! the days are hast’ning on, By prophet seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years Shall come the time foretold
When Christ shall come and all shall own The Prince of Peace, their King,
And saints shall meet Him in the air, And with the angels sing.
There is lots of good theology in this carol as with many hymns. Consider “the glorious song of old” …suggesting the nature of redemption with Jesus “slain from the foundation of the world”. Isaiah said “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…” and the first and last verses remind us that Christ was brings peace with both His first and second advent. That our world is broken by sin is clearly evident in lyrics like “weary world”, “sad and lowly plains”, “Babel sounds”, “woes of sin and strife”, “suffered long” man at war with man”, “crushing load”, “bending low”, and “painful steps”. And yet a message of hope and awe at Christ’s incarnation at the first Advent and bodily return at the second Advent wind throughout the entire carol.
Consider laying in “solemn stillness to hear the angels sing” over the cacophonous noise of our world, the “love song” which God sent us all in the person of Jesus. And when the “crushing load” which bends us low seems too be too much, “Look now! For glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing”. We have hope of the Lord’s soon return, when we will meet Him in the air. Until then may we “rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing!”
Housekeeping notes:
Choir Program – Our Adult Choir will present “A Christmas Offering” in tomorrow's morning service. Be sure to join us in person if you are able and online if not.
Carols & Candles – Tomorrow night at 5 pm we will celebrate our annual Carols & Candles service. We all look forward to this simple time of worship and reflection on Christ’s birth.
Bible Study – We will have our final Bible Study of the year on Wednesday, December 20 at 7 pm.
Year End schedule - December 24 and 31 – Sunday School and Morning Worship ONLY
Card Box – The Christmas card box in the narthex is for those who worship in person regularly. Please use mail for cards to those unable to be in services in person.
Year-end contributions – Cash contributions must be received by 12/31/23. Checks must be dated no later than 12/31/23 and received in person or by mail no later than January 14, 2024. Online contributions should be made no later than 12/31/23.
God bless us every one.
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
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