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| First Week of Advent |
Luke 1:68-79: Zechariah's Song of Prophecy
The Good News of Jesus Christ is announced with songs that cannot be kept from singing.
Luke's gospel begins with the announcement of God doing a new thing with two miraculous births. One is to Zechariah's wife Elizabeth, and the other is to a virgin named Mary. Zechariah bursts forth with a song of prophecy at what God has done in the birth of John. And Mary cannot keep from singing her Magnificat at the announcement that she will give birth to Jesus, the long awaited messiah. Then, in chapter two, a choir of angels sing to shepherds their song of announcement that Jesus has been born in a manger. The gospel of Luke is bursting with songs that announce the coming of Christ.
The season of Advent finds us bursting with songs as well. Choirs caroling at the mall. Christmas music played on the intercom in department stores, during TV commercials, over loud speakers in the city, on the radio during your commute. Everywhere you turn there literally is music in the air. Christmas music is familiar music, too. So familiar to all of us that we might find ourselves unable to resist the urge to sing along. And the latest new thing is the flash mob. If you find yourself suddenly surrounded at a public place by a group of strangers serenading you with Christmas carols, well, just go with it. Sing along and consider yourself blessed. Then, go home and see if you can find yourself on YouTube. :-)
What's fascinating about all of this music is that much of it is actually the sacred music of the church. Sure there's songs about reindeer, snowmen and a fat guy in a red suit, but "Silent Night", "Away in a Manger", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Angels We Have Heard On High", "O Come, All Ye Faithful", "Joy To the World" are all found in our Lutheran Book of Worship. These, and many others, are hymns of the church. They are songs that announce the gospel message...that Jesus was born, and he is the Son of God, Savior of the world. At any other time of the year, if a choir were to sing sacred hymnody at the mall or any other public place they would quickly be asked to stop. If they didn't do so I'm sure they would be arrested for disturbing the peace. But not now. Not during this very special season of the year. During this season, the world seems to be unable to resist the urge to sing about Christmas....the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world.
Whether people realize it or not, God is announcing the coming of his Son to us and to the world, and just like the days of old, He does so with songs that the world cannot keep from singing.
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of songs that announce your Son's birth. Open my ears to hear your choirs of angels announcing, even now, that Christ comes to bring peace on earth, and open my heart that I might sing along to share your joy with others. In Jesus' name, Amen!
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