About 14 years ago, my dad asked me for help with a Christmas Cantata. It was called "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and was based around that song. As you might expect for a religious musical based around a secular song, the writing was ... well ... bad. Bad and meaningless. And trite. It was feel-good with absolutely no substance whatsoever. So, I decided to give it a whirl. I imagine that no one will be interested in this, but I had been thinking about it and discovered a bunch of old files that had this in it. Many of the songs won't be recognizable by title and I'm only posting the title of the song and the narration that went with it. I'll put any thoughts about what I was writing in parentheses. Also, you'll note that I began each section with a portion of the first chapter of the Gospel According to St. John.
First song: "I'll Be Home for Christmas"
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
Charles Dickens once said, "Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." The idea of home is never more powerful than during this time of the year. Familiar lights and sounds evoke images of the past, memories and emotions which make the season that much more poignant.
The memories and emotions are only heightened when one is separated from home. The song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was written during WWII, when so many families were sundered by war. It tells of one far from home who, because of his great love for his family, will be with them in his heart. "Home," they say, "is where the heart is," and his heart was left with his family.
Yet, as beautiful and important as our earthly home is, and as powerful as the songs that remind us of kith and kin, there are other songs we sing at this time of the year which tell us another, more important story.
(Here, I was trying to acknowledge the love people have for the song while giving it both thematic and historical context and then essentially saying, "But it's not what Christmas is about," and thus negating everything I'd just said.)
Second Song: "Good Will to Men Medley"
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jesus once said, "Birds have nests and foxes have dens, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Jesus was the greatest of all homeless men. He left His Home, His Family, for those who were still His enemies. And, on the first night he entered into this world, He was homeless, with not even an inn to offer shelter.
Be silent before this mystery. The God whose clothing was divinity put on humanity. The God whom death could not touch put on mortality. The God whose home was the universe became homeless. What have we to say to such a God? What words can capture the awe of this moment?
Welcome.
(Here, I start working in some Eastern Orthodox type language regarding the Incarnation. The next song is actually really good, one of the few I think deserve to be added to the Christmas corpus of carols.)
Third Song: "Welcome to Our World"
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
No one can look at the face of God and live. Moses himself was hidden in the cleft of a rock and only saw His back. Even this made him so radiant that he had to veil his face when he returned to the people. But Mary, a simple girl from Palestine, carried that same God, who has no beginning, in her womb. She gave birth to her Maker, and placed Him in a manger. She picked up the One whom Moses could not see, and kissed His face, and stared in His eyes, and told Him she loved Him. And then, to the God who sang the stars and planets into existence, she sang a lullaby.
Who else has a God like this?
The Great One who became small, the Wakeful who slept,
The Pure One who was baptized, the Living One who died,
The King who humiliated Himself to give us honor?
(Here, I start really laying on the incongruity of the Incarnation and directly cribbing from Eastern Orthodox prayers.)
Fourth Song: "The Way in a Manger"
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
There is an old tradition, that on midnight of Christmas Eve, if you go to a stable, the oxen will bow in memory of the God who was born in their presence that night. How ironic that angels descended to worship their maker, joining with those oxen in worshiping Jesus. Lowly shepherds, outcasts, came to offer their homage, kneeling beside kings from the far east. Yet, though the maker of the whole Earth, God Himself, was with us, none of his own kin knew Him or welcomed Him into their homes. Still, we must praise Him!
It is right that we men should praise your divinity,
It is right for the angels to worship your humanity.
for they were amazed to see how small you became,
And we were astounded to see how exalted.
Welcome all wonders in one night
Eternity shut in a span
Summer in winter, Day in night
Heaven in earth, and God in man
Great little one whose all embracing birth
Brings earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth
(Yes, I know the Magi weren't there with the Shepherds, but they are in Nativity scenes and I wasn't getting into that here. Robbed another Orthodox prayer and part of a poem, "In the Holy Nativity of Our Lord" by Richard Crashaw.)
Fifth Song: "God with Us, Immanuel"
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Imagine the soldier in WWII, for whom "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was written. He leaves home to protect his family, and to rescue his friends from the enemy. He struggles with the foe, willing to give anything, even his life, for the ones he loves. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Now, imagine a missionary. She, too, leaves home. She, too, is willing to lay down her life. But she does not go to fight an enemy. She goes to those who might be enemies, who are yet strangers and aliens. She goes to tell them of the love of God for them, to take those strangers and aliens and make them brothers and sisters. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
In Jesus, both of these people are united. God has ever loved us, for He is Love. Yet we had made ourselves His enemies. And, in doing so, we made ourselves slaves and captives of sin and death. But the almighty Word of God leapt down from His home to this troubled world. He came as a Soldier, to make war with sin and death. He drowned sin in the sea of His blood and He killed death with his own death. He came as a missionary, to proclaim good news to us. And what is the good news? He loved us when He made us. He loved us when we strayed. He loves us still and will forever. We no longer need fear death or sin or anything, for we live in the love of God. And He showed us this with His birth, His death and His resurrection. What greater love is there than this? And what more beautiful feet and hands than those pierced for love of us?
(Trying to bring it back to "I'll Be Home For Christmas")
Sixth Song: Let Christmas Come
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
In ancient times, pagans celebrated the birth of the Sun at this time of year. These days are the shortest, and the nights are the longest. But, right at this time of year, a change occurs. After the longest night comes the sunrise of a new day. And each day after, all the way until Summer, the days get longer and longer. In the same way, the Son of God came to us in the longest, darkest night of sin and death to bring a new day of love and light! How wonderful is God, that on the day when the Sun was born, Christ is born? The pagans used to call it "The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." But who is so unconquered as our God? If they say it is the birthday of the Sun, I say, "YES! He is the Sun of Justice, the Son of God!"
Will you let the Son rise in you, to dispel the darkness of sin and death in your own heart?
(I really, really liked this but was afraid that it might not play well with Evangelicals who often see pagan conspiracies under every leaf and in every dark corner. So I gave him this option as well...)
Have you ever thought about the innkeeper? Did he ever come to know whom he had barred from his inn? Yet, even though he was too full to give shelter to the Word, he did find room somewhere. Still, lest we chide him for not recognizing and giving room, let us think of our own heart-homes. How full are they with worries and concerns, or with treasured sin, that we will not give Him room in ourselves? But perhaps, like the innkeeper, there is some place inside you where you will let in the Light. Just like that stable, Jesus will take what you give Him. But, be warned, He will never be satisfied until he has your whole heart, mind and strength. For Jesus does not want your money, your intelligence, or your gifts. He just wants you. And, in the end, that is all we have to give him.
What can we offer you, Jesus, who for us came to earth as a man?
Every creature you made offers you thanks:
The angels sing you a hymn;
The heavens give you a star;
The magi bring priceless gifts;
The shepherds give wonder;
The earth gives a stable;
The beasts give a manger:
So, like the Virgin Mother, we offer you ourselves.
Come, live in us.
(This one, although I don't like it as much, does incorporate one of my favorite, Orthodox, Nativity prayers.)
Seventh Song: Let In the Light!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light.
[That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
So, this Christmas, as we gather in our homes to open presents, to break bread with family and friends, and to sing familiar carols; let us remember that Christ gave up His home for our sakes. And we, who are how His, have become like Him. Our home is with Him. We are now as homeless, as strange and as alien as He once was. Still, we can make our families and our homes on earth reflections of our eternal Home, little heavens here where God dwells inside each heart. So, until that Great Homecoming which will never end, we praise the God whose house has many rooms, which He prepares for us.
We worship the Creator who made Himself homeless!
We worship the King who made Himself a stranger and an alien!
We worship the Father who became a Child!
Final Song: Joy! Medley
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