Angels in the Countryside

Imagine the very first Christmas concert.

You are a shepherd. You live a rough and simple life. You spend a lot of time in the fields, with your sheep.

You don’t have iTunes. It’s just “baa baa baa” all night long. But sometimes your buddy Levi plays his wooden flute.

You have never gone to an iMax theater, never watched a movie with Computer-Generated Imagery. You have never seen the fireworks at Disneyland. Nothing remotely magical or supernatural has ever happened to you. But, you do have the stars.

So one night, you and Levi are abiding in the fields, keeping watch over your flocks, looking up at the stars. And then, out of nowhere, a huge angel appears. And the glory of the lord shines all around you. It is blinding. You can’t even process it. You are terrified. You fall to the ground, peek out through your hands. And the angel says:

“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.”

So it’s not the end of the world. It’s good news! A savior, the messiah! But as a baby?

Suddenly, the sky is full of angels. And they are singing. It’s loud. It’s surround-sound with sub-woofers. Your whole body is vibrating:

“Glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

How beautiful! How wonderful! God’s favor rests on me! An angel army, announcing peace!

That story of the shepherds is from Luke 2. It is the inspiration for the Christmas song we sang this morning, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” A traditional French carol, it was translated in 1860, by the English Bishop James Chadwick.

You may have noticed that Chadwick did not translate the chorus. “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” is not French, but Latin. It means, “Glory to God in the Highest,” the first line of the angel’s song to the shepherds.

Now, if you have studied Latin, you know that it is not the language of angels – not even close. Too many noun endings! But Latin just works better when you have melisma. Melisma is my new favorite word. The adjective is even better – “melismatic”! Melisma is when you sing a single syllable of text over several notes. Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh – you get it. Or, as Ed would call it, “Southern Baptist style.”

So this Christmas season, let’s enjoy caroling about the angels. And let’s also remember the first Christmas concert: a preview, a trailer, for the awesome, eternal concert of the angels and the redeemed – in heaven.