Just Musings Today-spiritual ones, that is.

 

Christmas is this week. With the commercialism of Christ’s birth, the message usually gets lost. People are about fed up with “Deck the Halls” by now and I can’t blame them. Sure, I play carols throughout the year. In fact, my large collection of CD’s, tapes and records (ask your parents) get year-round service. But don’t throw out the season because it’s celebrated with the wrong motives. Claim it as your new project of protection. Why should the spotted owl deserve more from us than the King of Kings? So look for those little caroling books you couldn’t throw away and read the words to “Go, Tell It on the Mountain,” “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” and one of Handel’s lesser known Christmas tunes, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.”

 

After Christmas, I will be explaining to you how to improvise those tunes you enjoy the most. But let me say Christmas is a time of joy& hope – God loved us enough to save us, it’s a time of shame & reflection – because my sinful state compelled Him to leave heaven on this rescue mission, it’s a time of thanksgiving & praise – He succeeded in His mission! Now, I leave you with the words to a real “Forgiveness Song” (read the last blog), a carol I have enjoyed in both English or Polish:

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

“Infant holy, Infant lowly, for His bed a cattle stall;

Oxen lowing, little knowing Christ the Babe is Lord of All.

Swift are winging angels singing, noels ringing, tiding bring:

Christ the Babe is Lord of All, Christ the Babe is Lord of All.

 

Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping vigil till the morning new

Saw the glory, heard the story, tiding of a gospel true.

Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow, praises voicing, greet the morrow:

Christ the Babe was born for you. Christ the Babe was born for you.“

Text: Polish carol, paraphrased by Edith E.M. Reed, Music: traditional Polish carol.