The Three Nativites, Pt. 6 - Light Incarnate

The third nativity of our Three Nativities blends familiar elements from both of our biblical accounts and often adds additional touches from a variety of other sources.

At Glenn Memorial church where our family gathers, those who can, we will have two wise women and just one wise man. I learned a long time ago when the United Methodist Women speak, one does well to listen. They each will have a page and they will travel the journey following the star down the leftmost aisle; the shepherds having traveled from the right.

By tradition, one of our congregation’s recently born infants and their parents will play the parts of Joseph and Mary. Baby Jesus emerges from behind the screen at the back of the chancel and of course, there is a cabbage patch version standing ready if the circumstances demand an understudy.

I hear this year we will have new costumes for the special group of fourth graders to wear as they dance around the manger while the covenant choir sings the folk song the Friendly Beasts. You know the words.

The Friendly Beasts

Jesus, our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude;
The friendly beasts around Him stood.
Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

At Glenn church there is an honorable group of pageant alumni who as fourth graders dressed in white sweat suits, donned headgear for some almost as big as they stood tall and danced in long stretching strides around the manger. They come from behind the screen one by one.

“I,” said the Donkey, shaggy and brown,
“I carried His mother up hill and down;
I carried His mother to Bethlehem town.”
“I,” said the Donkey, shaggy and brown.

“I,” said the Cow, all white and red,
“I gave Him my manger for His bed;
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head.”
“I,” said the Cow, all white and red.

They tell me that kids returning from college who once were stable animals all meet for coffee at Starbucks down the street and share memories!

“I,” said the Sheep, with the curly horn,
“I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.”
“I,” said the Sheep, with the curly horn.

“I,” said the Dove, from the rafters high,
“I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry;
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I.”
“I,” said the Dove, from the rafters high.

I can’t prove it, but there is a rumor that one of the donkeys is now in seminary studying to be a preacher. No pun intended.

Jesus, our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude;
The friendly beasts around Him stood.
Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

****

If you want a seat at Glenn, you had better get there early. This is a high holy day; those who come twice a year wouldn’t miss it. We are still working on that issue in our congregations. I saw a sign outside one church recently that read, “Guests welcome, Members expected...” While we are struggling with that aspect of our corporate discipline, for the moment everybody is welcome.

At Glenn, in his uniquely engaging style, Professor Bill Mallard will lead the congregation in carols, everybody anticipating the finale when he has 1,500 or so persons singing together, Amen, Amen, Amen –

See the baby Jesus! Amen

Laying in the manger, Amen

He came to save us, Amen, Amen, Amen

****

For most of us, The Third Nativity is about incarnation – not in any formal theological way. There have emerged in the last several years important critiques of this strand of Christology. Rather, this night is about finding embodied in our quaint story certain key values that as Christians we must affirm “in spite of” our day to day experience. My friend Rick earlier posted the touching words penned by one of America’s greatest poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

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.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
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."

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

Indeed, in these celebrations, there is the special affirmation not of human optimism, but Christian hope that is proclaimed each year by our gathered congregations.

I will return to this in our next post, but you remember Alfred Burt’s moving words…

The children in each different place
Will see the Baby Jesus' face
Like theirs but bright with heav'nly grace
And filled with holy light!

O lay aside each earthly thing
and with thy heart as offering
Come worship now the infant King
'tis love that's born tonight!

'tis love that's born tonight!

.****

The Gospel of John knows no nativity story, yet John appears prominently in our Christmas celebrations. As members and guests alike enter the sanctuary, they each receive a candle. You know the ritual. The lights are dimmed and the senior pastor, whose part so far in our play has been to take a back seat and watch, lights his candle from the Christ candle at the center of our advent wreath. Acolytes will come forward and slowly in a sort of “each one, light one” ritual of exponential growth pass the light along singing together the carol, Silent Night. By tradition, the carol is accompanied by a guitar and we celebrate the birth of the “light of the world.”

For those who think that we leave the issues of politics and power and exploitation back in the Bible‘s two original stories – it is true, we generally will not speak of massacres of children tonight. But even so, it is the birth of a King that we celebrate this evening.

I remember watching a DVD of Oliver Stone’s epic movie, Alexander. In a quiet scene, the distraught, uncertain young "Emperor to be" is counseled by his wife, she says, “Alexander, you are the light of the world!”

I stopped the video and laughed the first time I heard that line. Have I not heard this somewhere else? Indeed, we must remember that when, for example, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is proclaimed as light of the world, as bread, as the way, as life – others have made and continue to make that claim for themselves as well.

So, on this special night we celebrate indeed that

Jesus is the light of the world, that

‘tis Love that’s born this night, that

"God is not dead, nor doth God sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to all."

Merry Christmas.

John

See also:

The Three Nativities, Pt 1 - Introduction

The Three Nativities, Pt 2 - Lineage

The Three Nativities, Pt 3 - Matthew and Gospel

The Three Nativities, Pt 4 - Matthew and Illegitimacy

The Three Nativities, Pt 5 – Like and the Shepherds

These essays are written in memory of Judy Sparks Montgomery

(c) John C. Montgomery 2007

Visit my blog: Notes From the Balcony

Photo used with permission: I-stock Photo