Displaced Church for the Homeless Moving to "Fixer Upper" Property in 2019
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Displaced Church for the Homeless Moving to "Fixer
Upper" Property in 2019
12/23/2018
Dear Teacher,
The news that The Church Under the Bridge in Waco, Texas, will soon have to vacate the space under Interstate 35, where
it has been meeting for worship since 1992, provides us with our lesson topic this week.
That church defines its call as "to be church to the unchurched … to the poor and marginalized, … the mentally ill, …
addicted, unemployed, and otherwise struggling people." Over the years, many people have expressed surprise about how
they sensed God’s presence at The Church Under the Bridge, in what some might view as an unlikely setting for
encounters with God.
We take this opportunity to explore the topic of theophanies, or occasions when God reveals himself, often in astonishing
ways, as he did in the events surrounding Jesus' birth, to people who never expected such a manifestation.
If you'd prefer a different topic, look at our second lesson, which offers a quiz about Christmas carols. Assuming that you
might appreciate the opportunity this week to focus on a medium that is about good news, we put some questions before
you that will cause you test your memory of carols. But don't worry, it's an "open-book" test (and the teacher's lesson
includes an answer key).
You are welcome to email the student version of either lesson to your class members, depending on which lesson you
prefer to use for your class time. To do so, click here.
May God bless you as you teach the scriptures this week.
The Editorial Team of The Wired Word
Displaced Church for the Homeless Moving to "Fixer Upper"
Property in 2019
The Wired Word for the Week of December 23, 2018
In the News
The Church Under the Bridge (CUB) in Waco, Texas, will soon have to vacate the space under Interstate 35
where it has been meeting for worship since 1992.
The Texas Department of Transportation plans to widen the bridge over the next three to five years, during
which time construction will make the church's current space unusable for worship. The church's founder and
pastor, Jimmy Dorrell, who teaches at Baylor University and founded the charity Mission Waco, said "The
Texas Department of Transportation is remodeling our place at no charge to us. You can't beat that."
Plans for the bridge project include adding better traffic control features and lighting to improve safety for
pedestrians and bicyclists. Lower curbs will improve access for the handicapped, and the lane widening of the
bridge will expand "the roof" over the congregation, which will keep people dry when it rains.Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of the HGTV home-improvement reality series Fixer Upper, have offered the church the use of their property nearby, Magnolia Market at the Silos, for Sunday worship during the bridge reconstruction. Located four blocks from the current site, where pigeon droppings and the noise of big rigs and screaming sirens can be a distraction to the 200-300 people who attend, Magnolia Market, a popular tourist attraction, is available because it is closed for business on Sundays. The CUB, defines its call as "to be church to the unchurched … to the poor and marginalized, … the mentally ill, … addicted, unemployed, and otherwise struggling people." Church leaders de-emphasize outward appearances and seek "to provide acceptance and access … friendliness and concern … respect and dignity" to all attendees, regardless of their background or life experience. Over the years, many people have expressed surprise about how they sensed God's presence in what some might view as an unlikely setting for encounters with God. Brenda Coffman, 76, a volunteer from one of the area churches that make breakfast and sack lunches for Sunday worshipers on a rotating basis, said it's easy to get to CUB, and people can come and go as they please, while at Magnolia, guests will have to use a defined single entrance, which may deter some people from participating. Leta Johnson, 60, a former underwater welder who lives in a house with no electricity or running water, is concerned that the Gaines' property may be too high-brow for some attendees. "This is for people who don't have clothes, that are embarrassed to go to church, that ain't got a shower," said Johnson, who struggles with addiction. "You're taking a lot away from us by redoing this bridge. Move us to another bridge, why can't you? Sending us to a tourist attraction isn't what we want." Robert Walker, 50, who has attended CUB for 20 years except when he was in prison, said the current location is "sacred ground" for him, where "people loved [him] when [he] didn't love [himself]." As long as they "keep the body (of Christ) together, wherever we are … [and] allow the Spirit to usher in and the Bible to be preached," Walker thinks they'll survive. If the new location doesn't work out, Dorrell said they'll explore other options. "If the poor don't show up, we'll move," he said, "because we're there for the poor." One possibility might be a parking facility Waco businessman Mack Hardin offered for the church's use during the I-35 construction. Hardin explained he is interested in helping CUB because "Jimmy ... ministers to people who might be asked to scoot over if I were to bring them to church. They are the kind of people Jesus hung around with." Ultimately the church expects to return to its home under the bridge, Dorrell said. "If we have extra people show up [at Magnolia], for whatever reason, that will be a byproduct we love," Dorrell said. "But we're there for the people who don't feel welcome." The church describes itself on its website as "An ordinary church made holy by His presence ... black, white, brown, rich and poor, educated in the streets and in the university, all worshiping the living God, who makes us one."
The church website states that the church strives to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit under the lordship of Jesus Christ, seeking to overcome "denominational, cultural, economic or racial" barriers by welcoming people from various backgrounds "to love God … with all their heart, soul and mind, and to love their neighbors as themselves." The church is committed to embrace "all racial and economic backgrounds in membership and leadership." "It's fun to look out on Sunday morning to see black and white, rich and poor. People working on their Ph.D. will be sitting next to someone who can't spell their own name," Dorrell said. "Church Under the Bridge means it when they say, 'Come as you are,'" church member Joanna Burrell said. "Everyone is accepted." More on this story can be found at these links: Church Under the Bridge Home Page. Churchunderthebridge.org (http://www.churchunderthebridge.org/)Church Under the Bridge Celebrates 25 Years (Video - 2:35). Lariat TV News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYR0_WwIThw)Waco's Church Under The Bridge (Video - 3:57). YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrmFEZTrJqU)'Fixer Upper' Stars Chip and Joanna Gaines to Host Church For the Homeless. Religion News Service (https://religionnews.com/2018/11/21/fixer-upper-stars-chip-and-joanna-gaines-to-host-church-for-the- homeless/)Magnolia Silos to Host Church Under The Bridge During I-35 Work. Waco Tribune-Herald (https://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/magnolia-silos-to-host-church-under-the-bridge-during- i/article_7a7c0123-f445-50f9-a48b-c698841faa9d.html) Applying the News Story This news provides us with the opportunity to explore the topic of theophanies, or occasions when God reveals himself, often in astonishing ways, as he did in the events surrounding Jesus' birth. The word theophany is based on two Greek words, meaning God and appearance. A theophany is a visible display that reveals God's presence and character to people. Through theophanies, God highlights various aspects of his character and pursues relationship with humans. In the Old Testament, some examples of theophanies include appearances to the patriarchs (Genesis 15:1; 17:1; 18:1; 26:2; 28:13); displays related to Moses and the Exodus, beginning with the burning bush (Exodus 3; 14:19; 19); and revelations to the prophets (1 Kings 22:19-22; Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1). God manifests himself through aspects of creation such as fire, thunder, clouds, light, angelic or human forms. Yet God is distinct from and greater than any and all of these expressions of his nature in creation, since "God is Spirit" (John 4:24). Jesus pointed to the Hebrew scriptures that spoke of him (Luke 24:27), which New Testament writers and theologians in the history of the Christian church did as well, in a method of interpretation called typology. When types of Christ are included in theophanies, God's nature and works can be seen in other scripture texts that speak of Abraham's offer of a ram in place of Isaac (Genesis 22), Joseph who saved the brothers who sold him into slavery, the Passover lamb (Exodus 12), Moses who delivered his people from slavery, priests and
sacrifices in the tabernacles and temple, the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53), Jonah who was buried in the belly of the fish before he was "raised" back to life, etc. "Theophanies in the Old Testament anticipate and foreshadow the permanent coming of God into creation in the incarnation of the Son," writes Dr. Vern S. Poythress, New Testament professor at Westminster Theological Seminary. "In the Incarnation, the Son of God takes to himself a human nature, while remaining the divine Son. The Son is the permanent appearance of God among us." As Jesus says to Philip: "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9). Paul develops the theology of theophanies further in 2 Corinthians 3:18, where he speaks of how ordinary Christ-followers who behold the glory of the Lord in the face of Christ are gradually transformed into his image. The goal is "that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh," a "treasure in clay jars" (2 Corinthians 4:7, 11). It is this kind of theophany that can sometimes be seen in the way Christ-followers relate to others, that people at The Church Under the Bridge reference when they speak of encountering God in a group of struggling people in the unlikely setting under a noisy interstate in Texas. The Big Questions 1. Have you had a theophany [an appearance of God to you]? If so, what did it teach you? Share about a time when you felt God close to you. Was there anything about that experience that surprised you? Explain. 2. What difference, if any, does the setting of a gathering of God's people make in your ability to sense God's presence, and meet God "face to face"? 3. Should every Christian expect to experience theophanies, or are they granted only to a few people? Is it necessary to experience a theophany, when God manifests himself to people, in order to sense God's presence? 4. On your spiritual journey, do you prefer to have every step laid out in advance? When have you been most surprised by God? How open are you to the surprises God may have in store for you? 5. When, if ever, have you seen God manifested in the community of believers? Describe that experience. 6. What does it mean to you that you can see Jesus, the exact likeness of God, in "the least of these" (Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 25:31-46)? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: Luke 1:63-64 [Zechariah] asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God [for raising up a mighty savior for them and for calling their son to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord]. (For context, read 1:57-80.) This chapter tells the story of an aging couple who were childless. Zechariah, the husband, was a priest who was granted the honor of offering incense in the sanctuary of the Lord. While he was performing his priestly duty, the angel Gabriel appeared to inform him that God was answering his prayer for a son. The angel prophesied that the boy, to be named John, would prepare people for the coming of the Lord (vv. 16-17).
Zechariah had a hard time believing that he and his wife would have a child at their advanced age. The angel assured him that God would keep his word, and until he did, Zechariah would be rendered mute (vv. 18-20). When Zechariah came out of the sanctuary, he was unable to speak. We don't know how long he pondered the angel's message, but at some point, he acted on it and had sexual relations with his wife Elizabeth. Subsequently, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Eight days later, neighbors and relatives gathered for the baby's circumcision and naming. Zechariah had apparently already told Elizabeth the child should be called John, but since they had no relatives by that name, members of the family and friends pressed Zechariah to tell them what name he favored. Everyone was amazed by what happened next, when Zechariah's tongue was loosed and he began to praise God. Questions: What might prevent us from being able to speak about the works of God we have seen and the words of God we have heard? What needs to happen in us before we can freely speak words of witness and praise to God? Matthew 1:22-25 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took [Mary] as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (For context, read 1:18-25.) Not all theophanies are welcome or happy ones, at least initially. In Matthew's account of Jesus' birth, we learn that Joseph considered breaking off the engagement when he found out Mary was pregnant and he knew the unborn child was not his. That's when he was surprised by the visitation of an angel of the Lord in a dream. The angel reassured him that the unborn child was from the Holy Spirit, the one who would save his people from their sins, so he shouldn't be afraid to take Mary as his wife. In a culture where arranged marriages were the norm, we don't know whether Mary and Joseph were acquainted before their betrothal. But even if they knew each other, and even if Joseph had a high opinion of Mary, he probably didn't expect her to convey GOD-INCARNATE to him! It's highly unlikely that the thought that God would make himself known through his fiancée had even entered his mind! Yet he accepted the angel's explanation and followed his direction to wed Mary and give her son the name Jesus, as the angel had instructed him (v. 21). Questions: What should we do when unwelcome circumstances surprise us? When have you faced unwelcome surprises in your own life? Were you able to discover "Emmanuel" (God with us) and Jesus (God saves!) in the unwelcome surprise? Explain.
Luke 2:15-18
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with
haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known
what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
(For context, read 2:4-20.)
Luke tells us that when Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord announced his birth, surprisingly, not to kings
and potentates, but to working-class people, shepherds on the night shift.
The shepherds, who might well have included children, were terrified at the appearance of the angel at first.
But the angel told them not to fear, that "he came in peace" with a message of good news of great joy for all
the people -- which included them.
The angel indicated that they could verify his verbal message, by the visual, tactile and auditory sign of a child
wrapped in strips of cloth lying in a manger -- a trough used to hold food for farm animals.
As philosopher and media theorist Marshall McLuhan once said, "The medium is the message."
One of the core values of The Church Under the Bridge, as stated on the church website, is "De-emphasizing
attractive or 'holy' buildings for congregational meeting … [with a decided preference for] a simple,
inexpensive, functional meeting space that would allow the marginalized 'comfort zones.'"
In a way, meeting God with a peculiar mix of people at a worship service under an interstate bridge might be
akin to meeting God at a manger, surrounded by the working poor who are just struggling to survive.
Questions: How does the way God sent his message into the world (the medium God used) convey
and confirm the content of that message?
What is the significance of the fact that the first people to receive news of the birth of the savior were
shepherds?
To whom did the shepherds "make known what had been told them about this child"? How significant
is it that shepherds as well as angels bore witness to the birth and identity of this child? What does the
experience of the shepherds suggest about what we should do with the good news of Jesus we have
heard?
Acts 11:19-20, 25-26
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as
Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some
men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord
Jesus. … Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was
in Antioch that the disciples were first called "Christians." (For context, read 11:19-26.)
In this passage from the life of the early church, we find a motley crew of people with various life experiences
ranging from Jews and Gentiles to the persecuted and one who had oppressed them in the past. Yet these
believers were united by Christ, and treated one another with a Christ-like spirit of love and forgiveness that
made the world sit up and take notice.The believers at Antioch sought to extend to one another the same grace Jesus extended to them in his life,
death and resurrection. As a result, they were described as "Christians," or "little Christs," whether as a term of
derision or amazement is not clear.
When people used the term then, they were probably not merely describing people who belonged to a
particular religious tribe. Rather they referred to people who gave evidence that they possessed and cultivated
the fruit of the Spirit that typified the character of Christ.
Some people never connect the birth of Jesus to the larger story of Christ's life, death and resurrection. They
fail to see the implications of that larger story for the way they live.
In the Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," Phillip Brooks penned this prayer that takes seriously
the idea that it is not enough to meet the holy Child at some manger in Bethlehem; that Child needs to be born
within us and that Child's character must grow to maturity in our own lives, in the way we think, feel, and act
toward God and people:
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
It appears that those who attend The Church Under the Bridge are trying to follow the example of the Church
at Antioch.
Questions: What is surprising about the mix of people who were present in this particular church?
(Hint: What did Saul have to do with the persecution that took place over Stephen? See Acts 7:58-60;
9:1-2, 20-22.)
What was special about the disciples at Antioch that led to them being called "Christians" there first,
even before the believers at the mother church in Jerusalem were? Who do you think gave them that
name: God? Other believers? Opponents? God-seekers? Why do you suppose they were given that
name?
Where do you see the best examples of genuine "Christians" in the world today? What makes them
particularly notable?
How can we cultivate a Christlike character that would remind people of Jesus himself?
For Further Discussion
1. Discuss this from Professor of Theology and pastor Chris E. W. Green, from his book, Surprised by God:
How and Why What We Think about the Divine Matters
(https://books.google.com/books/about/Surprised_by_God.html?
id=10JgDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q&f=false): "God has
surprised me, again and again. I was raised to think of God in specific terms and to expect God to act in
particular ways. Now, most if not all of those terms and ways are lost to me. But only because God always
proves to be more than those concepts and expectations can handle. Even if I am not always pleased to findthis happening to me, I am happy that God is beyond all I ask or think."
Green added: "Seeing God as he is revealed in the life and death of Jesus Christ, to 'look full in his
wonderful face,' is not to lose sight of the world but to see it rightly for the first time. Attunement to that
reality is the only way to refuse to be dominated by the terrors of fear.
"Not that the world is somehow rendered safe for us by our delight in the beauty of God. Not in the
least. But we are in truth transformed by our vision of that beauty into the likeness of Christ, made to share in
the character of the one whom we are contemplating.
"Beholding God by faith enlightens the eyes of our heart so that we see reality differently, and just in
this way it begins to free us from the fear that would keep us from being ourselves for one another. Filled up
with the love of God, we are strengthened to live as Christ lives, giving ourselves fearlessly with him for the
life of the world."
2. Comment on this from TWW writer Joanna Loucky-Ramsey: "I remember a moment when I was a child,
sitting on my father's lap one Christmas, with the lights of the tree glowing and moonlight shimmering on the
violet snow outside the window.
"From my viewpoint, it seemed to me that my father was frequently called away on holidays to fix a
poor family's furnace that had stopped working, so it was extra-special to have him home for a few
undisturbed hours. To be the one who had his attention, when five other siblings, tenants and other people all
seemed to clamor for his time, put me over the moon with a sense of contentment I remember almost six
decades later.
"As my father cradled me in his arms, I thought, 'This must be what it feels like to be loved by God!' It
was a revelation of God's availability, nature and provision for me that I have never forgotten."
3. Consider this, from TWW contributor Stan Purdum: "It strikes me that these days, at least, one of the places
we often don't expect to find God is in church. With our usual Advent-Christmas routines, which are pretty
much the same year after year, we're prepared to carry on with services as usual whether we find God or not.
And with the usual pushes for social justice campaigns, mission support, helping local charities, etc., there
seems to be plenty to distract us from thinking about personal encounters with God.
"Maybe part of the appeal of The Church Under the Bridge is that it's enough of a break from church
as usual that it allows one to expect to find God there. I'm reminded of the pastor I heard about who in one
Sunday service prayed, 'Lord, make something happen here today that's not in the bulletin.'"
4. Sometimes congregations say they need a large building as a "mission center" to offer various ministries to
and for the community.
Can a church that meets under a bridge offer those ministries without a headquarters building of some
kind? If so, why do we have church buildings?
Can a church with a substantial building provide authentic ministry in the community? Why or why
not?
In what ways does a church building limit worship or our faith journey? In what ways does it help?
5. Jimmy Dorrell, pastor of The Church Under the Bridge, shared a saying once in an interview which he said
encapsulates the church's approach to ministry: "You say you love the poor; tell me their names." How does
your church approach ministry to the poor? Can you name those who are poor in your church and community?
What difference does it make whether you can name them or not?
Responding to the News1. You may enjoy watching one or more of these videos or listening to the audio recordings as you meditate on
the way God surprises us by his actions in human history and in your own life.
The Surprise (http://www.regalzonophone.com/Player%20United%20Kingdom%20-%20ACC%20-
%20A%20Christmas%20Celebration.htm), by Joy Webb (#4 in the playlist)
How Should a King Come? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWQV-Y9ZI-w) by Jimmy and Carol
Owens
When the Song of the Angels Is Stilled (https://www.seafarerpress.com/works/when-the-song-of-the-
angels-is-stilled), by Howard Thurman and Elizabeth Alexander
The Work of Christmas (http://www.beckenhorstpress.com/the-work-of-christmas/), by Howard
Thurman and Dan Forrest
God Surprised Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc6h1gyC44o), by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
2. You may wish to read the poem, "May the God of Surprises Delight You,"
(https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/19916/may-the-god-of-surprises-delight-you) by clinical social worker
Elizabeth Eiland Figueroa, to one another as a benediction or blessing.
3. To learn more about The Church Under the Bridge, check out Trolls & Truth: 14 Realities about Today's
Church that We Don't Want to See, (https://www.amazon.com/Trolls-Truth-Realities-Todays-
Church/dp/1596690100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332679870&sr=8-1) by Jimmy Dorrell.
4. You may wish to check out Poverty Simulation (http://missionwaco.org/poverty-simulation/), a training
opportunity offered by Mission Waco.
Prayer from Sister Ann Casper of Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
God of life's surprises,
help us to cast aside feelings
of gloom and doom
to dwell on what brings joy and laughter.
God of serendipity,
give us light hearts and playful spirits,
penetrate our busy and oh, so serious lives
with more giggles, balloons, picnics, cartoons
and all that brings us joy and delight. Amen.
Other News This Week
Carols Test What We Know About Christmas
The Quiz
This is an "open-book" test. Feel free to look at the carols in your hymnbook or online.
1. Where does the comma go in "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen"? What difference does it make?
2. What unrealistic claim is made about Jesus as a baby in "Away in a Manger"?
3. In "Angels From the Realms of Glory," to whom is the verse beginning "Saints, before the altar
bending" addressed?
4. According to "Good Christian Men [or Friends], Rejoice," for what was Jesus born?5. What carol was originally written to be accompanied by guitar because the church's organ was not
functioning?
6. What carol did American preacher Phillips Brooks write after seeing a little community in the Holy
Land lit up against the darkness during a Christmastime visit?
7. Using the lyrics of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" found here
(http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/o/c/o/ocomeayf.htm), how many points of doctrine about Jesus can
you identify in the verse that begins with the word "True"? What creed does this verse echo?
8. In "The First Noel," what does "Noel" mean? According to that carol, to whom was it first spoken?
What is the significance, if any, of the first audience of the first noel?
9. In "Sing We Now of Christmas," why is Mary described as "mild"? Do you think this is an accurate
adjective to use about Mary? Why or why not? What other adjectives do you think would accurately
describe Mary?
10. What kind of "aid" is requested of Mary and Joseph in "Angels We Have Heard on High"?
11. How many names or titles for Jesus can you find in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"?
12. According to a carol using lyrics by Christina Rossetti, what came down at Christmas?
13. Although "Joy to the World" is widely used as a Christmas carol, what is missing from its lyrics that
makes it suitable to be used at other times of the year?
14. Why do you think "Joy to the Word" includes the line "the Lord is come," which sounds ungrammatical
to many people?
15. In "Go Tell It on the Mountain," what is "it" and where besides the mountain does the song say you
should tell it? What is the significance of the fact that this carol comes out of the experience of the
African people who had been kidnapped and trafficked to America? What might this carol have meant
to them during their enslavement?
16. Regarding "We Three Kings," where does the Bible say how many there were? Where does the Bible
say they were kings?
17. BONUS QUESTION: To what part of the Christmas story is the word "bedlam" connected?
18. BONUS QUESTION: What carol seems to be a meditation on Christmas day itself? What sadness does
it express? What faith does it express?
Answers
1. Most people sing it as though it comes after "you": God rest you -- merry gentlemen. But it isn't written
that way. It comes after "merry": God rest you merry -- gentlemen. That comma really is the difference
between a Christian and a secular Christmas. To say "merry gentlemen" suggests that we have
manufactured our merriment. It may have even come from drinking too much eggnog. But the other
way, with its strange archaic English phrasing, is saying "God rest you with the merriment he gives."
2. Since Jesus was not only divine but also human, the claim that "no crying he makes" seems unrealistic.
3. All believers in Christ.
4. To open heaven's door so we are blest forevermore.
5. "Silent Night"
6. "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
7. Four, as follows: 1) Christ's divinity: "True God of true God." 2) Jesus is the light of the world: "Light
from light eternal." 3) Born of a virgin: "he shuns not the Virgin's womb." 4) Jesus is the Son of God:
"Son of the Father, begotten, not created." It echoes the Nicene Creed.8. Noel is usually defined today as "a shout of Christmas joy." It likely comes from the Old French nael,
which, in turn, is derived from the Latin natalis, meaning "birth." Since Christmas celebrates the birth of
Christ, people sometimes refer to the celebration as the "nativity" or the "birth," and by the 15th century,
"nowell" (the original spelling in the carol) was another term for Christmas. The first noel was said to
the shepherds watching over the sheep in the fields near Bethlehem.
9. Mary was called "mild" to rhyme with "child" in the next line. There's no reason to think "mild" was an
accurate description of her.
10. It's unclear. Either Mary and Joseph are being asked to add their voices of praise to those of the angel
choirs, or they are being asked to care for the Christ child.
11. Since Charles Wesley originally wrote 10 stanzas to for this carol, the answer depends on how many of
those are printed in your hymnbook. In the three verses included in the hymnbook we checked, we
found the following names and titles for Jesus: King, Christ, everlasting Lord, incarnate Deity,
Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Son of Righteousness.
12. Love. The carol is "Love Came Down at Christmas."
13. "Joy to the World" contains no clear reference to Jesus or his birth. For this reason, the carol would also
be particularly appropriate for use during Advent or on Palm Sunday.
It does use the terms "Lord," "King" and "Savior," but each of those terms is also used in the
Bible to refer to God the Father. What's more, the lyricist, Isaac Watts, wrote the hymn as a paraphrase
of Psalm 98:4-9, which, of course, predates the coming of Jesus. Nonetheless, Watts turned the words
into praise for the salvation that began when "the Lord is come."
14. What sort of syntax is "the Lord is come"? Seems like it should be either "the Lord has come" or "the
Lord is here." The words were composed by Isaac Watts in 1719, and the rules of word order weren't
exactly the same then as they are today, so maybe that is why this phrase seems not quite right to our
ear. And, in some dialects of English, the verb "to be" is still used as an auxiliary verb for verbs of
motion, although "to have" has supplanted that usage almost universally. It sounds to our ear
ungrammatical or archaic. (Example from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: "The Dead awaken; for the hour
is come for the oathbreakers" [Book Five].) Also, in "Joy to the World," we are dealing with poetry, and
in that form of expression, grammar rules are sometimes bent to serve the sound of the line.
But maybe Watts wrote exactly what he meant. Throughout the work of the biblical prophets, the
terminology "will come" was often included in pronouncements about God's salvation and the promise
of a messiah (for example, Isaiah 59:20: "He will come to Zion as Redeemer"). "Will come"
presupposes a sense of expectation, but for the people of the Old Testament and the long years between
the two testaments, expectation lost its energy; it is exhausting to stand on the tiptoes of expectancy for
years and years. Nonetheless, "will come" remained the verbal expression of the hope.
Then, however, God sent Jesus, born in Bethlehem. For Watts to simply describe that arrival as
"the Lord is here" would lose the flavor of the expectancy vocabulary. So instead, Watts retained "come"
and changed "will" (future tense) to "is" (present tense). The Lord is come! Right now! The waiting is
over.
15. "It" is the news that Jesus Christ is born. The carol says to tell it on the mountain and "everywhere."
16. The magi (wise men) of Matthew 2:1-12 are sometimes referred to as kings in popular usage, as in the
carol, "We Three Kings." This practice grew out of Matthew's mention that the magi paid Jesus homage
(Matthew 2:2), a phrase that echoes a verse in Psalm 72:10, which refers to foreign kings paying
homage to Israel's king. Isaiah 60:3 also mentions kings coming to the brightness of God's light. But the
New Testament does not call the magi kings.For that matter, we don't know how many magi came to visit Jesus. Matthew simply says "wise
men," without specifying a number. The "three" is a guess made by some early readers of the story
based on the number of gifts these men brought to Jesus.
17. "Bedlam" is connected to "Bethlehem." In 1247, a Catholic priory named St. Mary of Bethlehem was
founded in London. A century later, it became a hospital, and later still, under King Henry VIII, with the
suppression of religious orders, it became exclusively a hospital for the insane. The noise and confusion
of the place was known all over England. In time, the "St. Mary" was dropped from the name, and it
became just Bethlehem, which in turn, through contraction and mispronunciation, became "Bedlam."
Thus, semantically, Bethlehem and bedlam are intimately related.
So too, the light that is Christ came not just for the quiet streets of Bethlehem, but also to
illuminate the chaotic byways of bedlam. Thus, even when our lives are disordered, falling apart, or
affected by the darkness of our sin or someone else's, the light of Christ is for us. It is in the agony of
dark streets that the everlasting light is most powerfully demonstrated.
18. "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." Its sadness is that there is no peace on earth. Its faith is that "God
is not dead nor doth he sleep."
This poem by Longfellow, written in a time of his own grief (wife's death, son wounded, in 1863
during the Civil War), ends with the confident declaration, "The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with
peace on earth, good will to men."
From all of us at The Wired Word, have a blessed and peaceful Christmas celebration.
Responding to the News
This would be a good time to share with other class members what your favorite Christmas carol is, and why.
Prayer
Thank you Lord, for the message of Christmas and faith that is communicated through our carols. In Jesus'
name. Amen.
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