December 23: Good Tidings of Great Joy
♫ Music:
Day 25 - Wednesday, December 23
Title: GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY
Scripture: Luke 2:8-12
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Poetry:
The Song of the Shepherds
by Richard Bauckham
We were familiar with the night.
We knew its favourite colours,
its sullen silence
|and its small, disturbing sounds,
its unprovoked rages,
its savage dreams.
We slept by turns,
attentive to the flock.
We said little.
Night after night, there was little to say.
But sometimes one of us,
skilled in that way,
would pipe a tune of how things were for us.
They say that once, almost before time,
the stars with shining voices
serenaded
the new born world.
The night could not contain their boundless praise.
We thought that just a poem —
until the night
a song of solar glory,
unutterable, unearthly,
eclipsed the luminaries of the night,
as though the world were exorcised of dark
and, coming to itself, began again.
Later we returned to the flock.
The night was ominously black.
The stars were silent as the sheep.
Nights pass, year on year.
We clutch our meagre cloaks against the cold.
Our aging piper’s fumbling fingers play,
night after night,
an earthly echo of the song that banished dark.
It has stayed with us.
WHAT IS THIS COSMIC INVASION?
What is this cosmic invasion that angels must announce it? Angels themselves are an invasion enough for this poor shepherd. Never have I seen even the flutter of angelic light in the distance. Never have I heard even the faint echo of an angel song. Yes, a single angel would be an invasion enough. But an army….This night, an army of angels! And that song. Such singing was both a terror and a joy to us on the ground. But all this was not the real invasion. All of this was just a message. This army of angels with their song that pierced our souls were merely the messengers of the Real Invasion. What a glorious entrance into our world of sheep and grass and of family and business and politics as usual. What is this cosmic invasion?
“Fear not,” so they said. Yet we were thrown onto the ground, overpowered by the light and the song. How could we not fear? We are mere human beings. Flesh was not made to bear this weight of glory! We shake in terror at the messenger. We are mere human beings.
“Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people” News - Good News for all the people! This news shall be to all the people. All people in all times shall hear these good tidings of great joy. What cosmic invasion is this that touches all the people - in all places and all times? When Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, Babylon did not see; Rome slept. Such a mighty work of the Lord - as mighty as it was - was not to all the people. How majestic must the real invasion be!
“In the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Could it be? A Savior for all the people? Even the unclean shepherd? Even the Gentile far from the promises of God? If it were only so! This would be tidings of great joy. The Savior is the one promised of old. So, this is the divine invasion. God’s promises come to us, here and now. Now all will be different. This is God’s mighty invasion.
“And this shall be the sign unto you” A baby? This cosmic invasion that rescues all the people is found in a baby? This cannot be. Such an invasion that is announced by a mighty army of angels must be even greater. It has to be larger, stronger, more terrible. We need God himself with his mighty sword. If we are to be saved it must be by the force of God overthrowing the enemy of enemies. Rome will not be torn down by a baby in swaddling clothes.
This we have to see for ourselves!
We saw the child, as the angels told.
Indeed, the promise of God. Returning to our fields in the quiet of night, my brother began to hum a song yet to be written, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
Prayer:
Lord God, you startled the world by taking on human flesh to enter our world. You went to such lengths to bring redemption to all people. Your presence in the world among us is a cosmic invasion. Help us not forget the grandeur and glory of the sign that is to us – the baby in swaddling clothes.
Amen
Dr. Greg E. Ganssle
Professor of Philosophy
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds
Unknown Artist
12th century
Fresco
Basilica of San Isidoro de León
León, Spain
The Basílica de San Isidoro de León is located on the site of an ancient Roman temple. Its Christian roots can be traced back to the early 10th century, when a monastery in honor of Saint John the Baptist was erected on the grounds. Built mostly in the Romanesque style, the basilica has had major additions in the styles of many succeeding centuries, including the Gothic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_San_Isidoro,_Le%C3%B3n
http://nosgustaleon.com/el-panteon-de-los-reyes-de-leon/
Music #1:
“Let Our Gladness Have No End” from the album Joy of Every Longing Heart
Lyrics:
Let our gladness have no end, Alleluia!
For to earth did Christ descend, Alleluia!
On this day God gave us
Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son to save us.
Prophesied in days of old, Alleluia!
God has sent Him as foretold, Alleluia!
See, the loveliest blooming rose, Alleluia!
From the branch of Jesse grows, Alleluia!
Into flesh is made the Word, Alleluia!
He, our refuge and our Lord, Alleluia!
Performer:
Sara Groves (b. 1972) is an American contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author. Groves received her Bachelor of Science degree in history and English in 1994 from Evangel University, a private Christian university in Springfield, Missouri. Groves spent four years teaching high school in Rosemount, Minnesota, before recording her first album, Past the Wishing, in 1998. Since then, she has released nine additional albums and appeared on several others. Groves has been nominated for three Dove Awards, including New Artist of the Year in 2002 and Special Event Album of the Year 2003 by the Gospel Music Association. She was named one of the best Christian music artists of 2005 and the album, Add to the Beauty, was named Album of the Year in 2005 by CCM Magazine.
https://www.saragroves.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Groves
Composer / Lyricist / Translator:
“Let Our Gladness Have No End” is a traditional Lutheran hymn that originated in Bohemia in the 15th century. The writer of the lyrics is unknown and the original Slavic text was eventually translated into English by Lutheran minister Jozef Kucharik. Not much is known about the hymn tune, except that it is commonly known as “Narodil Se Kristus Pan” in Czech, or “Christ the Lord is Born” in English. The tune is the setting for several Advent and Christmas hymns.
Music #2:
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: 14. There Were Shepherds
Lyrics:
And there were shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
Music #3:
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: 15. And Lo The Angel Of The Lord
Lyrics:
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
Music #4:
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: 16. And The Angel Said Unto Them
Lyrics:
And the angel said unto them,
“Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.”
Performers:
Kathleen Battle, Toronto Mendelssohn Chorus & Elmer Iseler Singers, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis
Kathleen Battle (b.1948) is an African-American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Battle initially became known for her work through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid-1970s. She made her operatic debut in 1975. Battle expanded her repertoire into lyric soprano and coloratura soprano roles during the 1980s and early 1990s, until her dismissal from the Metropolitan Opera in 1994. After a 22-year absence from the Met, Battle performed a concert of spirituals at the Metropolitan Opera House in 2016. Battle's concert and recital repertoire encompasses a wide array of music including classical, jazz, and crossover works. Her jazz and crossover repertoire includes the compositions of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, André Previn, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Stevie Wonder among others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Battle
The Toronto Mendelssohn Chorus (TMC), founded by Augustus Vogt, is a Grammy-nominated choir that has brought outstanding choral music to Toronto for more than 125 years. Grand symphonic sound has been the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s trademark. Performing both sacred and secular repertoire, TMC choristers are committed to offering audiences authentic interpretation, clarity of expression, and a profound emotional experience of some of the most important music ever composed. The TMC includes a core of 20 professional singers and 100+ auditioned and experienced volunteer choristers. The TMC organization also includes the Mendelssohn Singers, a 70-voice ensemble formed from the ranks of the TMC, giving them more flexibility in both performing venue and repertoire.
https://www.tmchoir.org/who-we-are/
The Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS) is a 20 voice professional choral ensemble founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979. They have built an enviable reputation throughout Canada, the United States, and internationally through concerts and recordings and by performing repertoire that spans 500 years, with a focus on Canadian composers. Annually, EIS sponsors choral workshops through their GET MUSIC! Educational Outreach Initiative for secondary school conductors and choirs, which concludes with a joint public performance. They also work to mentor young conductors with the help of university students, who also join in the joint public performance. https://www.elmeriselersingers.com/about/
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1922, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982 and has performed at Roy Thomson Hall since then. The TSO also manages the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO). The TSO's music director from 2004 to 2018 was Peter Oundjian. Sir Andrew Davis, conductor laureate of the TSO, has most recently served as the orchestra's interim artistic director. Gustavo Gimeno is music director-designate of the TSO, scheduled to assume the TSO music directorship in the 2020–2021 season.
https://www.tso.ca/
Sir Andrew Davis, CBE, (b. 1944) is an English conductor and currently is the music director and principal conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago. Maestro Davis's career spans over forty years, during which he has been the artistic leader at several of the world's most distinguished operatic and symphonic institutions, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra where he serves as Interim Artistic Director through 2020. Sir Andrew has led performances at many of the world's most important opera houses, among them the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, and the major companies of Munich, Paris, San Francisco, and Santa Fe. Maestro Davis studied at King's College, Cambridge, where he was an organ scholar before taking up conducting. His diverse repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary, and spans the symphonic, operatic, and choral worlds.
http://sirandrewdavis.com/biography/
About the Poet:
Richard Bauckham (b. 1946) is a biblical scholar and theologian. After studying at the University of Cambridge, he taught historical and contemporary theology for fifteen years at the University of Manchester and then at St. Andrews University in Scotland. He retired in 2007 to concentrate on research and writing and is Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, where he does some teaching. In 2009, he was awarded the Michael Ramsey prize for his book Jesus and the Eyewitnesses and, in 2010, he was awarded the Franz-Delitzsch-Award for a volume of collected essays, The Jewish World Around the New Testament. He has traveled widely giving lectures and conference papers. Though his permanent home is now in Cambridge, he returns to St. Andrews frequently. When he can find the time, he writes poetry and has also written two children’s story books about the MacBears of Bearloch.
http://richardbauckham.co.uk/poetry/
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Greg E. Ganssle
Professor of Philosophy
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
Dr. Gregory Ganssle is a professor of philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. His interest is in the philosophy of religion and the history of philosophy. His latest book is Our Deepest Desires: How the Christian Story Fulfills Human Aspiration (IVP, 2017).