December 21, 2022

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. 

Psalm 96:11–13

Allow me to return to an old habit from the COVID days - talking about music. We will be introducing a new song to the church body on Sunday: “Let the Earth Be Glad” by Wendell Kimbrough. Psalm 96 is not something that many put on Christmas cards - nor is it associated with any lectionary reading connected with Christmas, and yet the command for the earth and its people to rejoice at the coming of the Lord is something we should consider during the season of Advent and Christmas. In Romans 8:19 - Paul says that creation “waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God;” in Isaiah 55:12-13 creation “makes a name for the LORD” as mountains and hills break into song, the trees of the field clap their hands while cypress and myrtle trees displace thorns and briars.

As the chief point of creation - humanity too should break into song at the coming of Jesus our Lord. This is reflected powerfully in the prophetic exclamations of Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, and the heavenly chorus tiding the birth of the Messiah to poor shepherds! Matthew’s gospel is bookended by worship: that of the magi who came from afar to worship the King born in Bethlehem, and that of the 11 as they receive Jesus’ command to take the gospel to the nations in Matthew 28. Indeed - the only right human response to God’s drawing near to us through the incarnation is one of awe-struck and joyful wonder. 

Come and find your place, come and learn to sing,

The LORD our God is King