Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Take Time To Be Holy

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Words by William Longstaff, 1882
Music by George Stebbins, 1890

 

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 15 – 16

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:4

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27

 

They say that the longer a couple is married the more they become alike. I have been married for more that 22 years and I am not sure I see it. I suppose, however, that if you look at who my wife and I were before compared to now you would see that there have definitely been changes in each of us making us more alike.

Of course, even if you’re not married, you may have heard your mother warn you about the people you choose to spend time with. It is simply human nature that we begin to adopt behaviors of those we spend time with. This is why Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “Bad company corrupts good character.” Yes, we do change to become like those we spend time with and this is the theme of William Longstaff’s hymn, “Take Time To Be Holy.”

In the hymn, Longstaff emphasizes the need to intentionally set aside time to be spent with God. Each verse begins with the words of the title, “Take time to be holy.” This echoes the call of Leviticus 11:44 and 20:26 and repeated in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be holy, because I am holy.” As followers of Christ, we are to be set apart from the ways of the world, set apart for God’s purpose. We are to be holy.

And so the hymn begins to layout what is involved in being holy. It tells us to “Abide in Him always.” Echoing the words of John 15:4, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” To be holy like God, we must remain in Him. We can think that we can live our lives apart from His presence and think that we will be like him. And one of the best ways to spend time with Him is in His word, and this is why the hymn continues, “and feed on His Word.” When we spend time in His word and seek to know it, we will hide His word in hearts to keep us from stumbling.” (Psalm 119:11)

The hymn continues with yet another important par of being holy as God is holy. It reads, “Make friends of God’s children.” This brings us back to 1 Corinthians 15:33. The morals of those we associate with will rub off on us. So are we surrounding ourselves with other who are striving to be holy, or those who scoff at the notion.

The first verse ends with the call to “ help those who are weak.” You see, we can study the word as much as we want and we can spend time with as many Christians as we want, but if we are not living it out in our daily lives, then we have failed in our striving to be holy. It is this living out holiness that James speaks of in 1:27 when he writes, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The hymn continues to reiterate the need to spend time “with Jesus alone”, devoid of distractions that we might focus on him in all we do. It then reminds us that as we travel along, we cannot set ourselves out as the lead, but rather “In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord.”

Yes we are called to be holy just as God is holy. But with the business of life we sometime forget that Holiness is not something that just happens, it is something that takes time and intention. So when we take time to be holy, when we strive to be like Jesus we “shalt be fitted for service above.”

 

 

Read more about “Take Time To Be Holy.“

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Go Tell It On The Mountain

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Words and Music:Traditional African-American Spiritual

 

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Luke 2:17 – 18

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Mark 16:15

 

In today’s age of technology, the idea of information being spread by word of mouth throughout the land seems unheard of.  After all, today you can instantly send information around the world.  But, yes there was a day when the news was spread to a community by the town crier. No, not the sad person who sits on the corner bench, but the person who would walk through the street crying out the news that everyone needed to hear. This is how the information of Christ birth was first spread and is the theme of the old spiritual, “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”

The news had first come to the shepherds heralded by the angels “That hailed the Savior’s birth.”  Luke 2:10 – 11 tells us that the angel declared, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Well the first thing they were compelled to do was to verify the news so in Luke 2:15 they said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The shepherds traveled to the stable where they found the Christ child just as the angel had said.  Their response is clearly shown in Luke 2:17 – 18 where we read that “when they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” This news was so incredible that they could not keep it to themselves, they proclaimed it throughout the city “The Savior is Born.”

This news is to be proclaimed, and notbsimply in the streets of Bethlehem or in Judea, but from the very mountain tops.  The meaning behind this is clear, it is proclaimed for all the world to hear, for this is a message to the whole world (Luke 2:10) that is open to anyone who will hear.  A message that declares the truth “And God sent us salvation, That blessèd Christmas morn.”

Salvation had come to the world, a Salvation that would be completed 33 years later when this same Jesus would willing give his life on the cross in our place. This was the reason for His birth as He himself stated in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

This is the call that is laid on each of us to whom the message has been given.  A call of the news proclaimed that first Christmas morning, and echoed in the final commission of Christ to His follower recorded in Mark 16:15 where “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel (good news) to all creation.'”

So as each of us celebrates the Christmas season in our own fashion, let us not forget the good news that came that first Christmas. Let us then, in turn, “Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.”

 

 

 

Read more about “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”

 

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around,
And glory shone around.

“Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind
To you and all mankind.

“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign,
And this shall be the sign.

“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid,
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song,
Who thus addressed their song:

“All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease,
Begin and never cease!”

Words by Nahum Tate, 1700
Music by George F. Handel, 1812

 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:8 – 14

 

 

There is always something nice about ballads as opposed to other song.  Other songs may flow and say different ideas, but the cohesion is not always there.  A ballad on the other hand tells a full story in verse or song from beginning to end.  When you have heard a ballad you have heard the story and know what it was all about.  What is more, when it is set to music it becomes something that is easier to remember.  The words, tied to the music help us to hold the information in our brains.  So as I said, I love all songs styles, but there is something special about a ballad. And such is the case with Nahum Tate’s “While Shepherds Watched Their Flock By Night.”

In six simple verses we are presented the story found in Luke 2:8 – 14 of the Angel’s pronouncement to the shepherds of the birth of Jesus. An event that sums up the entire message and significance of the birth.  So Tate begins his ballad by writing, “While shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground, The angel of the Lord came down, And glory shone around,” which paraphrase verse 8 – 9 which read, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.”

He continues on in he second stanza where he writes, “‘Fear not!’ said he, for mighty dread Had seized their troubled mind. ‘Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind'” Here he picks at the end of verse 9 where the first stanza ended and continues on through verse 10 which reads, “and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

Tate continues his journey through the passage as he writes in the third stanza, “To you, in David’s town, this day Is born of David’s line, A Savior, who is Christ the Lord, And this shall be the sign,” Here he paraphrases the words of verses 11 – 12 which read, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you.”

There is no question of the Biblical solidity of the Tate’s Christmas ballad as he continues his paraphrase by writing, “The heavenly Babe you there shall find, To human view displayed, All meanly wrapped in swathing bands, And in a manger laid.” Here he retells the the remainder of verse 12 which reads, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

In the fifth stanza Tate writes, “Thus spake the seraph and forthwith Appeared a shining throng of angels praising God on high, Who thus addressed their song.” He he paraphrases verse 13 which reads, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying.”

Finally, in the last stanza Tate writes, “All glory be to God on high, And to the Earth be peace; Good will henceforth from Heaven to men, Begin and never cease.” Tate has gone through the entire passage and finishes with the summary of verse 14 which reads, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Yes there is something nice about a ballad, a song that simply tells a story.  In this case, the story that God had come to earth, the Messiah had been born.  Unfortunately, it is so easy to find ourselves singing the words without thinking about them.  Next time you sing “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night” listen to what you are saying and realize that you are proclaiming the birth of the Savior of the World.

 

 

Read more about “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.”

 

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

The First Noel

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tending 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,
Over Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Then did they know assuredly
Within that house the King did lie;
One entered it them for to see,
And found the Babe in poverty.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon the knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Between an ox stall and an ass,
This Child truly there He was;
For want of clothing they did Him lay
All in a manger, among the hay.
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 naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

If we in our time shall do well,
We shall be free from death and hell;
For God hath prepared for us all
A resting place in general.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Words & Music: Traditional English Carol

 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Luke 2:8 – 15

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:1 – 11

 

 

I am fascinated by the misconception people have about the Christmas story from carols. But it really isn’t surprising. People sing carols far more that they read Luke 2 or Matthew 2. When I started working on this carol, I hesitated on even doing it. But the more I looked at it, I realized that this beloved carol does not teach anything that is unscriptural, it simply takes some license in speculations of things we are not told. So, I have chosen to look at “The First Noel”

We hear it sung every year. We probably sing it every year. But does anyone really know what Noel means. We know it as the french word meaning Christmas. Now I have no question that this is indeed the contemporary word for Christmas, but what are its origins. One explanation is that it is derived for the Latin, “natalis” meaning birth. (This is where we get the English word Nativity, the Spanish word Navidad and the Italian word Natale.) Now this is the most commonly accepted answer, but it seems interesting that all these other languages maintained some appearance of the original, yet French did not.

A couple other explanation I found are that it is derived from the french word “nouvelles” meaning “news”. This would fit with the idea that the birth of Christ was Good News.

The final one says that is comes from ancient Gaulish. It is derived from the words “Noio” or “Neu” meaning “new” and “Helle” meaning “light”. In this case the Noel is the new light that came upon the world.

All this is fascinating, but I do not speak french and I am certainly not an etymologist. The simple answer is that today, it means Christmas whether it comes from the birth, the announcement or the new light that entered the world.

So the Christmas carol begins by telling us that it “Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.” Yes the news of the birth of Christ, the light of the world, was first proclaimed to the shepherds. Simple shepherds who had done nothing to warrant this gift. But it is to them that it comes. Not the first of this creative license is found in the line, “On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.” Yes, it is true that we do not know if it was cold or if it was a winter night. But this paints a picture for us a shepherd set apart from everything else that is going on.

So the carol continues that the star appeared in the sky. The implication of the verse is that the Shepherds saw the star. Again, while there is nothing that tells us this in the Bible, there is no reason to think that they could not have seen the star. It also says the star shined both day and night, this one I think I am going to have to disagree with, but again it is an attempt to emphasize the brilliance of the star.

The star that beckoned to the wise men “To seek for a King.” Yes it does say three wise men, and most of us are familiar with this one. There were indeed three gifts, but it does not tell us how many wise men there were. So the wise men followed the star until it came to rest over Bethlehem. This is how they knew that they had found the place where the king was. The carol then says, “And found the Babe in poverty.” We don’t know the financial situation of the Holy family, but this is clearly a reference to the fact that he was born in a stable. This is why it later says, “Between an ox stall and an ass.” Of course the wise men did not find Jesus in the manger. Matthew 2:11 tells us that they came to the house.

It is here where they found the child, the young King, and they presented him gifts worthy of a King. The gifts of “gold and myrrh and frankincense.”

Now my intent here was not to ruin a beloved old traditional hymn, but to remind us that our final authority must always be the Bible. It is there that we must always check out facts. Many a well meaning person has been creative with the Bible accounts to the point where they have altered the message. I do not think this is the case here. So I invite you, if you love this carol, continue to sing it for in it we declare the greatest truth of all when we sing, “Then let us all with one accord, Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made Heaven and earth of naught, And with His blood mankind hath bought.”

 

 

Read more about “The First Noel.”

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

God Is Not Dead, Nor Doth He Sleep

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1864
Music by John B. Calkin, 1872

 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:8 – 14

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 5:1

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
John 12:46

 

It’s been 2000 years since the Angels declared in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Yes they declares peace on earth, yet when we look around it can be hard to remember this. Fighting continues around the world. People killing each other over meaningless things. Where is the peace on earth.

This is what went through the head of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas 1863. Two years earlier he had lost his wife in a tragic fire in which he was seriously injured trying to save her. Now he found himself in Washington DC to see his oldest son who had been seriously wounded, possibly paralyzed in the civil war. And the war raged on, just a few months earlier more than 45,000 soldiers had died at the battle of Gettysburg.

It was truly a dark time as a nation and for Longfellow personally. It is in this darkness that he penned the words to the Christmas hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”

As was often the custom in days past, and still in many places, all the churches would ring their bells on Christmas morning. A beautiful musical reminder echoing throughout the skies of the joyous news that the Angels had declared that first Christmas, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. . . . Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:10 – 11, 13 – 14)

If only for a brief moment, we are reminded that there is hope. Jesus said in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Christ had come into the world to bring light peace to all mankind. But this peace is not first between men, but between God and man. This is why Christ was born. For as Romans 5:1 tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Yet Longfellow can not escape the pain of the darkness that seems to surrounds him. A truth found in John 3:19 where we read, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” So he writes, “And in despair I bowed my head ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, ‘For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men.’”

Christ came that we might have peace with God and bring peace on earth. This peace on earth is a peace that can only when we set aside petty difference and focus on the reason for Christ birth, peace with God. A message that rings from “the belfries of all Christendom.”

And so, Longfellow is reminded that there is still hope. While there are still problems that seem to flow throughout the world God is faithful to His promises. And while they may not happen in our time, He will not fail. Just as 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Yes, darkness does still exist in this world, but through the gift of Christ light has come. There is hope in the darkness. A hope that rings forth with the bells on Christmas morning. No “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to men.”

 

 

Read more about “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Morn.“

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Silent Night, Holy Night

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Words by Josef Mohr, ca 1817
Music by Franz Gruber, 1820

 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians 1:7

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:29 – 33

 

I don’t know if your cupboard is like ours, but the dishes we have are used regularly. Some of the dishes may have a few chips, but you know that comes from regular us. Now we do have some special dishes. You know what I am talking about, the “fine china.” Those dishes that only come out for extremely special occasions, whatever those may be. This is not really that unusual. Whether it is dishes, clothes, or anything people often have the everyday items and then those that are set apart for something special. This is the definition of the New Testament Greek word “hagios” which we translate in English as holy.

Now while this word has become a commonly used word in the everyday language, it true meaning is often missed. But in the case of the Christmas hymn, “Silent Night, Holy Night” its true meaning shines through. Holy – To be set apart by or for God.

Josef Mohr begins by setting the tone of a quite and peaceful evening with the words “Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright.” With this as the background he begins to paint for us a picture. He writes, “Round yon virgin mother and Child. Holy Infant, so tender and mild.” A reminder that Jesus was the fulfillment of a prophecy given by Isaiah in Chapter 7, verse 14 where he writes, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

The first verse ends with the words, “sleep in heavenly peace.” Now while this at first glance may seem to be a reference to the Christ child sleeping. However, when we look closer it in light of Psalm 4:8 which reads, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.” it seems rather to refer to the city and the peace that has descended on upon the world with Christ presence.

The hymn continues by recounting the events of Luke 2:8 – 14 which reads, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”

He is the Messiah, the Lord. It is this theme that Mohr continues with when he writes, “Son of God, love’s pure light.” He is the Messiah, the Lord and He is the light and “in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

The light shines forth and Mohr uses the imagery to transition to a new idea. For the lawn comes with the dawn, and he writes, “Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace.” Jesus came to extend the grace of God to all people. This is why Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” This is why Jesus came, and his birth is but the beginning, the “dawn of redeeming grace.” From the moment he was born, he was there for this purpose. From the moment he was born he was the Son of God (Luke 1:32) So the Mohr wrote, “Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,”

This night was indeed set apart for special time in all history. It was truly a Holy night, for on this night God came to earth to redeem the world. For this reason, those who come to know the peace that can be found in Jesus alone join together with the proclamation, “Christ the Savior is born!”

 

 

Read more about “Silent Night.”

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

Words by Placide Capeau, 1847
Music by Adolphe C. Adam,

 

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. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:1 – 14

 

Have you ever heard a song that simply moved you as you listened to the words. A song that made you feel that you were experiencing the story being told. There are three key components to a song having this impact. The first is the words. They need to paint a picture that is so vivid you can see it all. The second is the music. Does the music draw you into it? Do you feel yourself moving emotionally with the music? The third component is that the words and music communicate the same message, that they fit together. When the picture drawn in your head by the words corresponds directly with the emotional movement of the music, you find yourself becoming part of it yourself. This is the case with Placide Capeau’s “O Holy Night.”

Now in full disclosure, this is my favorite Christmas hymn of them all. The words and music seem to transport me to that night so long ago. When I here this song performed by a singer who truly understands the dynamic flow of the music I am left silent and humbled with a vision of God’s gift in Christ.

So as we look at the words we are presented with what I believe is one of the most incredible pictures of the meaning behind Christmas. The hymn begins by setting the stage of what is to come. “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!” That is the foundation of Christmas, what the angels declared in Luke 2:11, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

The birth of the Savior is not done in a vacuum, however, but in a world in need. The hymn writes, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining.” Since the fall as described in Genesis 3 the world had been slowly falling apart, waiting for the hope of a Savior. This is what Paul tells us in Galatians 3:22 where he says, “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.”

Their hope was not in vain, for Christ was coming. The song tells us that the world was on a downward spiral, “Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” There are many things that people try to use to fill the void within them but they are all meaningless. As Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 1:2, apart from God everything is “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” But in Christ, there is hope, there is meaning, there is worth.

As the hymn continues, the music of Adolphe Adam changes tone for we have moved from the dark sadness of a lost and pining world, to the joy and excitement of the message of a new hope. The music combines with Capeau’s words, “A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” You can feel and hear the excitement, excitement that come from hope that is based in the truth. This is the message we find in Psalm 119:147, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.”

Again the music changes tone to that of awe and wonder as the words declare the only true response we can have before this Savior. So Capeau writes, “Fall on your knees, O hear the angel’s voices!” This is our response before God, as Psalm 95:6 says, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” The maker of the world had come to earth and we fall to our knees before him in response to the message from the angels, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

The hymn continues to tell us that this Christ has made brothers of all those who believe. As the writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 2, verse 11, “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” For we are not just brothers to one another, but with Christ himself.

Oh, on that holy night, so long ago, Christ was born that we might be free from sins dark hold. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:14) Therefore, with “Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name! Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!”

 

 

Read more about “O Holy Night.”

Brian Olson Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Lo! star led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him incense, gold, and myrrh;
We to the Christ Child bring our hearts’ oblations.
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Words by John F. Wade, ca 1743
Music by Uncertain (attributed to John Wade, John Reading or Simoa Portogallo)

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. . .
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1 -5, 9 – 14

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:13 – 14

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:15 – 20

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” . . .
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:1 – 2, 9 – 11

 

When you get married one of the first big things you have to do is decide who you are going to invite to the wedding.  How wide do you spread the net?  Do you invite your parents second cousin once removed or do you just keep it to immediate family?  Do you invite your childhood best friend that you have not seen in 20 years or do you just invite the people currently in your life? These are the decisions that have to be made and it is up to each couple to do as they see fit (and can afford to feed at the reception).  Whatever  the decision, once you are done with the list you have to address and stamp all the invitations to go out.  Finally you need to wait for the responses so you can find out who is coming.

In John Wade’s “O Come, All Ye Faithful” we are given an invitation, not to a wedding, but to meet Christ. An invitation that is given to all, but only those who respond can know the child in the manger.

So Wade gives us an invitation containing all the necessary information. Who is invited? “all ye faithful.” Where are they going? “to Bethlehem.” Why are they going? to “behold Him, born the King of angels.” The hymn then continues by presenting us with a further description of the child we are called to see when it reads, “True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal . . . Son of the Father, begotten, not created.” (John 1:5, 9, 14) This child we are called to see, is the eternal God made flesh.

Now the hymn changes its focus from an invitation to present the response of the three groups presented in scripture concerning the birth of Christ.  The first group is the Angels who in Luke 2:13 – 14 declared, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

We then move on to the Shepherds who Luke 2:15 – 17 and 20 tells us that “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child . . . The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The third group is then the Magi who came later to see Jesus as we are told in Mathew 2:1 – 2 and 9 – 11  where we read”After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” . . .
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Each of those who responded to the call could do nothing less than worship and glorify the child, the new born King.  So Wade next turn the lens upon us and how we will respond. Will we come to the child who was born “for us sinners poor and in the manger”? Surely “we would embrace Thee, with love and awe” for “who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?” Christ came into the world to open the door that sinners could be redeemed. In love he would “lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

The invitation has been sent to each and every one of us to celebrate the child born in Bethlehem, the Savior of the world. May each of us choose to respond to the invitation with joy and faith. When we truly come to know him we can join in the words of the hymn, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

 

 

Read more about “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

Brian Olson Hymns, reblog, Worship

Modernized hymns: Are you singing hymns, or just contemporary songs with old words?

My problem is not “contemporary worship.”  Yes, I have a preference for the traditional style, but my issue is not style but genuine worship. There are contemporary songs that I believe still maintain a strong sense of worship such as “In Christ Alone.”

The argument for contemporized hymns is that they keep the substantive words but give it an updated sound that the people “like” and want to sing. But you see, the substance of worship as found in a song is not simply the words, but also in the music and how they blend and compliment each other to communicate the message.    Many of the old hymns, when you silently listen to them, you can not help but hear the words, for the music itself portrays the message.  Listen to the hymn, “Rock of Ages” for an idea of what I am talking about. The music needs to fit the words.

In the same way, simply adding a chorus to the middle of a hymn does at best little to aid the meaning and at worst causes it to become disjointed and confusing.  In the case of what people know today as “O The Wonderful Cross”, Chris Tomlin adds the chorus, “O the Wonderful Cross” to the middle of the hymn “When I survey.”  The problem is that the music completely changes it tone from solemnly reflective to joyous and feel good.  In addition, the words themselves become disjointed as the words “wondrous” and “wonderful” are two very different things, with very different meanings.  Now I have non question that the cross has become a wonderful thing to those who believe, but this is not the message of “When I Suvey” and takes away from that message.

Now, while I could continue, I would rather share with you the following blog post from “Ponder Anew”.  I think that Jonathan hits the nail right on the head.

Modernized hymns: Are you singing hymns, or just contemporary songs with old words?.

Brian Olson Advent, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Joy To The World

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Words by Isaac Watts, 1719
Music by Unkown, (arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836)

 

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
– Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:17 – 19

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Luke 2:10

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
Mathew 25:31

 

It’s called anthropomorphism. Attributing human characteristics to God, animals or inanimate objects.  We use it all the time.  When our car won’t start we might say that our car hates us.  When there is terrible storm we may say that it is angry or the cold is biting. When we find ourselves looking at the mountains, forest or wilderness on a beautiful morning we might say that nature is singing.  Of course, this is not something that is unique to us today, the Bible uses these terms regularly.  Psalm 19:1 says that “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  This is the essence behind Issac Watts hymn, “Joy To The World.”

This hymn that we typically ascribe to Christmas, is in fact based on Psalm 98 and not the Christmas story.  (In the same way that Isaac Watts paraphrased Psalm 90 with  “Oh, God Our Help In Ages Past.”)

As I sing through the ever so familiar tune what strikes me is that the song does not speak of what we typically think of as a Christmas song.  It does not speak of Christ birth or the visit from the angels, and the response of the people of the world seems almost secondary. Instead, it speaks of the world and the response of nature to the presence of God. Take a look at the words; “Heaven, and nature sing”, “While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains rrepeat the sounding joy” and “No more let . . . thorns infest the ground.” The final one being a reference to the curse placed upon the ground as a result of the fall of man as found in Genesis 3:17 – 19.  The joy that comes from God’s presence effects all of His creation.  Nature itself sing of the joy joining with the praise of man for the Savior.

But we can find joy in the knowledge that the message of Salvation was given to man.  This is why Luke 2:10 tells us, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Salvation came to man and as a result, all of creation is blessed. This is the message of redemption.  God reached out to His creation to restore it from the fall.

No this hymn is not written to celebrate Christmas, but to look forward to the future advent, when Christ shall return as the triumphant King.  The time that Jesus himself described by saying, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.” The King is coming again, but until that day we can all join together remembering His birth in the stable and looking forward to His return upon the throne with the words of the hymn, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King.”

 

 

Read more about “Joy To The World.”