NOEL

A few years ago we added Noel to our outdoor Christmas lights. We got the four grapevine lighted block letters at Home Depot and added some poinsettias to soften it up a bit and make it prettier in the daytime. Some years the snow bank that forms in front of the blue spruce starts to bury the letters that stand up on the bare ground. We love the NOEL and you can read it from clear down the street as you drive up. Our street is on the trolley tour not because of any of our display but because there are some over the top displays just a couple blocks down that compete every year to outdo each other and the trolley passes by here on its way there.

 A little googling pulls up a site at http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/first_noel.aspx that says Noel means birthday and comes from the French language. The carol “The First Noel” was probably shared by troubadours from France to England and no one knows who wrote it. It tells the story of Christ’s birth in six verses. From the website.

 "The First Noel" portrays in vivid narrative style the story of the birth of Christ. All six stanzas are needed to complete the entire event when the hymn is sung. The sixth stanza urges us to join together to sing praises to God for the marvels of His creation and for the salvation provided through Christ's shed blood. The repetition of the joyous "noel" in the refrain is equivalent to our singing out "happy birthday" to someone.

The first noel the angel 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.
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.
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.
This star drew nigh to the northwest, o'er Bethlehem it took its rest; and there it did both stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three, full rev'rently upon their knee, and offered there, in His presence, their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heav'nly Lord, that hath made heav'n and earth of naught, and with His blood mankind hath bought.
Chorus: Noel, noel! Noel, noel! Born is the King of Israel!

I pray that all would have a blessed Noel this year.
Lou

Go Tell It On The Mountains

Singing “Go Tell It On The Mountain” in church Sunday brought back a wave of memories. When E#1 was about four she attended preschool at a nearby Lutheran church a couple days a week. The preschool  kids also performed in the annual Christmas program at the church. The lyrics to the song “Go Tell It On The Mountain” were sent home as an assignment and the parents were supposed to help the kids practice. So I dutifully helped her learn the verses and to this day I can remember every word even though I hadn’t heard that song in years. I wonder if E#1 remembers any of this?

It is a great song actually, a Negro spiritual. It reminds me that the good news of Christ needs to be told again and again. Our old dim world can seem bleak and futile at times when one reads the news and hears of the horrific and sorry state of mankind. The good news gives us joy and hope that it is not all for naught that we live and then die.

Sometimes I get fed up with Christians for their insincerity and their moralizing. There are some Christian leaders on the national scene who make me cringe. Certainly there are countless unsung heroes of the faith who one never hears much about, who would make me proud to be counted as a sister in the faith together with them for their genuine humility and acts of loving kindness. But the ones we do often hear about politicians, modern televangelists, and pundits just push all of my buttons.

I get cynical and think that Christians need to stop talking and just show the world grace and mercy by serving the poor and striving for social justice. Doing the little that we can to alleviate suffering in the world. We need to put our monies to work building wells, hospitals, orphanages and schools. We need to empower women and help those who have been enslaved. The noble causes are endless because the suffering in the world is great.

But we still need to tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. Social justice and humanitarian work isn’t enough. When the most commendable work is done by the most Christ-like among us it isn’t enough if we haven’t told the good news too. The only way to convey it is to tell it in words. One might be convinced of deism (that a non personal god or “supreme architect” exists) by looking at the beauty of the natural world and the amazing symmetries in the cosmos. The laws that govern all things unseen and seen. But that doesn’t bring you to the baby in a manger who saves the world. The Christ who one can know personally and who is available in this life to be a helper, counselor, adviser, friend, listener, redeemer and more. The Bible tells his story but his people (the global church) are the ones entrusted to spread the word by telling one another what he has done in their lives. The transformed lives is what makes the story believable. If your life hasn’t been transformed maybe you need to pull up a chair and listen to someone whose life has been. 

So tell it and don’t be ashamed to be called a Christian. Just tell what he has done in your life, that’s all. Are you better off today for following him? It is not all a walk in the park obviously but what would life be like without him? I know the times in my life that I tried to do things my own way were dreadful. He saves me from me. I still have a ton of  theological questions but I know what he has done for me.

Lou

Words: John W. Work, Jr., Folk Songs of the Amer­i­can Ne­gro (Nash­ville, Tenn­es­see: 1907).

Music: Af­ri­can-Amer­i­can spir­it­u­al

Refrain

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

Refrain

The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth.

Refrain

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn.

Refrain