Glorious light! see the dawn of Salvation:
Angels in white fill the skies with their wondrous song;
Awakening earth with news of His birth;
Join the hymn of the highest heavens!
Long has the world fought the song of the angels.
Heavenly music is drowned by a warring world;
Yet hope burns a light, that shatters the night;
Turn your heart to the call of glory!
Glory to God in the highest!
Peace to men on earth.
Come and adore Him with wonder -
Christ Lord of Heaven and earth.
There is a day all creation has longed for -
When all of time has been spent and the Lord returns;
His song we'll repeat as heaven completes;
Promised peace that will fill the nations!
-Keith Getty
I love this newish hymn by the Getty's. I had never heard it before, but it is in our church hymn book, so I started practicing it on the piano and then teaching the lyrics to my kids. I've probably played it 100 times if I have played it once. The tune is compelling and the message is awesome.
It is now so engrained in my heart and mind that it automatically starts itself on repeat whenever I go bicycling. I have no idea why-it just does. I kind of hum it to myself (I don't have enough breath when I am biking to sing it full throttle) and just pedal away. Mile after mile.
Here's the thing about Christmas that a whole lot of the Getty hymns bring out. Christmas is only the beginning of the story.
You may say, "wait, BHG, it is actually the middle." But, I prefer to think of it as the start of the story, history before that being the back story. Very important for context and everything else. But, Jesus Christ IS the story.
At Christmas we think of Christ's birth. We remember the angel's message of peace on earth.
But peace is not a reality. It never has been. The world is at war. Our relationships are fraught with conflict. Our hearts are often tumultuous. Life is loud. Everyone and everything is shouting for our attention.
Why? Because peace didn't come to earth when the Prince of Peace was born. Christ's birth was the dawn of salvation, not the end. Rather, peace was made through the Prince of Peace's death.
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)
I love this newish hymn by the Getty's. I had never heard it before, but it is in our church hymn book, so I started practicing it on the piano and then teaching the lyrics to my kids. I've probably played it 100 times if I have played it once. The tune is compelling and the message is awesome.
It is now so engrained in my heart and mind that it automatically starts itself on repeat whenever I go bicycling. I have no idea why-it just does. I kind of hum it to myself (I don't have enough breath when I am biking to sing it full throttle) and just pedal away. Mile after mile.
Here's the thing about Christmas that a whole lot of the Getty hymns bring out. Christmas is only the beginning of the story.
You may say, "wait, BHG, it is actually the middle." But, I prefer to think of it as the start of the story, history before that being the back story. Very important for context and everything else. But, Jesus Christ IS the story.
At Christmas we think of Christ's birth. We remember the angel's message of peace on earth.
But peace is not a reality. It never has been. The world is at war. Our relationships are fraught with conflict. Our hearts are often tumultuous. Life is loud. Everyone and everything is shouting for our attention.
Why? Because peace didn't come to earth when the Prince of Peace was born. Christ's birth was the dawn of salvation, not the end. Rather, peace was made through the Prince of Peace's death.
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)
Jesus Christ's death made peace with God a possibility and reality for those who appropriate it.
Yet, the majority of the world is not at peace. Not with God, nor with each other.
Long has the world fought the song of the angels.
Heavenly music is drowned by a warring world;
Yet hope burns a light, that shatters the night;
Turn your heart to the call of glory!
The world is fighting the true means of peace. There are peace summits and peace accords and peace treaties. Which are all drowned out by more war. Domination, fighting, blood and guts and loss.
But, though that is a rather accurate synopsis of our world's history, we still have hope. Peace is coming. Peace is inevitable.
It won't be through more treaties. It will be through the world acknowledging and bowing to the Prince of Peace as the Lord Jesus Christ.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
Yet, the majority of the world is not at peace. Not with God, nor with each other.
Long has the world fought the song of the angels.
Heavenly music is drowned by a warring world;
Yet hope burns a light, that shatters the night;
Turn your heart to the call of glory!
The world is fighting the true means of peace. There are peace summits and peace accords and peace treaties. Which are all drowned out by more war. Domination, fighting, blood and guts and loss.
But, though that is a rather accurate synopsis of our world's history, we still have hope. Peace is coming. Peace is inevitable.
It won't be through more treaties. It will be through the world acknowledging and bowing to the Prince of Peace as the Lord Jesus Christ.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
And that is the awesome reason to celebrate Christmas in July!
