A Word from Pastor Nathan

We are quickly approaching the final Sunday in Advent, and I’m wondering where the time has gone. Throughout this season, I’ve been using the refrain “let every heart prepare him room” from Megan Doan’s display board, but despite that phrase, two worship experiences every week, hymns, and music, I feel unprepared for the birth of the Christ child. I’m not ready. There’s too much on the “to do” list to complete, too much to organize/plan before the holiday break, and, to add insult to injury, our email is wonky, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it as the problem is not on the sender’s or recipient’s end but somewhere in the ether in-between. These stressors compound strife and hinder the joy of life.

Part of my self-care practice is singing with the Cleveland Orchestra. It’s wonderful to be part of something in which I’m a participant and not a leader. Our music for the holiday concerts has been thrilling. However, the piece that has captivated my imagination is a simple—but hauntingly beautiful—setting of the Wexford Carol, which some historians date back to the 12th century. Here’s the last verse:

“With thankful heart and joyful mind / The shepherds went the babe to find / And as God’s angel has foretold / They did our Savior Christ behold. Within a manger He was laid / And by His side the virgin maid / Attending to the Lord of Life / Who came on earth to end all strife.”

The rhyming of the words life and strife get me every time we sing this piece. Our world is full of strife right now: COVID, environmental disasters, political unrest, and economic uncertainty are but a few at the top of the list. Plus, there are the normal pressures of daily life, including medical appointments and email difficulties. I can’t help but wonder if the shepherds long ago lived in a context of strife, constantly fending off the literal and metaphorical wolves. I imagine the same was true for the lyricist, who penned this carol almost 1,000 years ago.

Ready or not, Jesus is coming. We cannot prevent it, but we can attend it at the angel’s invitation. “In Bethlehem upon that morn, we’ll find the blessed Messiah born.” I’ll see you there.