December 23: Responsiveness
♫ Music:
Wednesday, December 23
Scripture: Luke 2:16-20
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
RESPONSIVENESS
What is your response to the events of Christmas? Without examining our own hearts’ receptivity, we may miss out on the wonder and joy of Christ’s birth.
Having received the angels’ triumphant announcement, the shepherds committed to go straight to Bethlehem to see this event with their own eyes. They made haste to see the Messiah because this was a divine event, not to be missed. Their response to what the angels declared was met with anticipation which moved them into action. James Burton Coffman wrote, “When God gives his great opportunities to men, it is needful that they should seize them at once.”
As the shepherds immediately hurried to see what was announced, so must have been their instant reaction upon arrival. In the Adoration of the Shepherds, Guido Reni depicts this sense of wonder, astonishment and reverent silence. At the moment, the mood is too precious, too awe-inspiring and too arresting. It is fascinating that Luke 2:16 is sandwiched between conversations by the shepherds. In verse 15 they declare to each other their intent to see the Messiah, and in verse 17 they tell others about what they had discovered. The Adoration of the Shepherds seems to capture the “seeing is believing” moment which rendered the shepherds speechless.
Within the painting, we notice the expressions of pure awe, admiration, and amazement reflected in the shepherds’ faces as they gaze upon the Christ Child, expressions which extended to the gestures of their hands. What happens when you are caught up in a state of pure wonder? Your entire body responds to what your soul and spirit are experiencing. You may involuntarily bring your hands together to clap, to pray, to worship, to praise, or even to gently clutch your heart as one shepherd does. It is a moment where no words are necessary.
Mary also demonstrates her response to this holy moment. Though the shepherds reacted quickly and verbally, Mary’s is internal. She pondered or weighed these events in her heart. Sometimes a work of God is too sacred and too precious to speak of at the moment. A meditative silence is her appropriate response. A.G. Mercer observed, “There was a hush of awe about it, a disposition to keep a sacred thing sacred; to hide the depths of the heart away from common talk, and to keep their inexpressible-ness hidden to God.”
Can you assess your heart’s “response meter?” So many aspects of modern life can render our hearts dull and scarred and tired so that there is hardly any heartbeat left to respond. We need to anticipate the many wondrous moments in each and every day that God grants us. May your heart reawaken and respond to the joy of His coming. A Savior was born for you—God’s coming to earth happened not only factually, but powerfully, wondrously, and experientially. Responding to this great news has rhythm this season: there may be moments of verbal declarations, bodily expressions, hushed awe, quiet reverence, pondering silence, and expansive praise. May we celebrate and worship our Savior with an immediate response of wonder and joy every day.
PRAYER
Grant to us, O Lord, the royalty of inward happiness, and the serenity which comes from living close to thee. Daily renew in us the sense of joy, and let the eternal Spirit of the Father dwell in our souls and bodies, filling every corner of our hearts with light and grace; so that, bearing about with us the infection of good courage, we may be diffusers of life, and may meet all ills and cross accidents with gallant and high-hearted happiness, giving thee thanks always for all things.
Amen.
(Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rachelle W. Chuang, Biola Alumi Board
Suzanne Welty, Associate Professor, Communications Sciences / Disorders
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Guido Reni
Oil on Canvas
The National Gallery, London, England
About the Artist and Art
Guido Reni (1575- 1642) was an early Italian Baroque painter noted for the classical idealism in his paintings of mythological and religious subjects. In his artwork, Reni evolved a style that tempered Baroque exuberance and complexity with classical restraint. The frescoes of Raphael and ancient Greek sculptures were main inspirations for him. Reni’s graceful, classical style featured refined colors, delicate and varied flesh tones, soft modeling, and gentle emotion. He strove toward a classical harmony in which reality is presented in idealized proportions. His religious compositions made him one of the most famous painters of his day in Europe, and a model for later Baroque artists. This beautiful detail of The Adoration of the Shepherds reflects a tranquil joy that seems contagious, as viewers are invited to contemplate the newborn Christ with the humble herders.
About the Music
“The First Noel"
Lyrics
Noel, Noel
Born is the king, Noel.
The First Noel, the Angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star,
Shining in the East beyond them far.
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
And by the light of that same star,
Three Wise men came from country far.
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest.
And there it did both Pause and stay,
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those Wise men three,
Full reverently upon their knee.
And offered there in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then let us all with one accord,
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord!
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought,
And with His blood mankind has bought!
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
About the Hymn
“The First Noel” is a traditional classical English Christmas carol that dates back to at least the 17th century. William B. Sandys (1792-1874) and David Gilbert (1767-1839) edited and added lyrics to create the version we know today. The publication of Sandys’ 1823 book Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern was the first of its kind to include many of the songs we now consider classic carols. The word Noel is an English synonym meaning "Christmas.”
About the Arranger
Dan Forrest (b. 1978) has been described as “a composer of substance” (Columbus Dispatch), whose works have been hailed as “…magnificent, very cleverly constructed sound sculpture” (San Francisco Classical Voice), and “superb choral writing…full of spine-tingling moments” (Salt Lake Tribune). Since its first publication in 2001, Forrest’s music has sold more than a million copies. His choral works have received numerous awards and distinctions, including the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer’s Award, the ACDA Raymond Brock Award, a Meet The Composer grant, the ALCM Raabe Prize, and many others. He is active in the music publishing industry, having been published with more than a dozen companies.
Website: www.danforrest.com
About the Performers
Bel Canto is a choral ensemble at Concordia University in Moorhead, Minnesota, comprised of 65 first-year and upperclass women. In addition to the annual Concordia Christmas Concert that draws an attendance of over 18,000 people, Bel Canto also performs locally and on campus during other ensemble concerts and chapel services. Repertoire includes both accompanied and a cappella works representing a wide range of choral styles. Bel Canto is under the direction of Dr. Julie Hagen.
Website: www.concordiacollege.edu/music/concordia-christmas-concert