Month: December 2007

O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is

Rev. Johann CaauweLeave a comment

Paul_gerhardt
This year’s children’s service is based on Paul Gerhardt‘s Christmas hymn, "O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is." It’s not the most common Christmas hymn. It’s probably not on everyone’s favorites list. But in my opinion there are few that are better. As I was doing a little research I happened upon an article about Paul Gerhardt’s hymns from the Forward in Christ a few years ago. The article is written by Prof. Theodore Hartwig. I thought I’d share a portion of it with you.

Many of Gerhardt’s 17 hymns in Christian Worship are much admired and much used. It would be a credit to our worship practice if another of his hymns, much neglected, won its deserved place in the sun. It is the Christmas chorale “O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is” (CW 40).

On reading this hymn no one can fail to notice its childlike quality and its focus on the central truth of Christmas: God coming into human flesh. The excellence of the text is matched by a tune of calm, confident serenity that was composed by Gerhardt’s friend, Johann Cruger.

Any commentary on the first stanza simply gets in the way of its beauty: “O Jesus Christ, your manger is My paradise where my soul is reclining. For there, O Lord, we find the Word. Made flesh for us—your grace is brightly shining.”

The second stanza tells how the eternal God condescended to our low estate. The third stanza sings of the comfort gained from Christ’s birth. The fourth raises this comfort to the higher bliss reserved in heaven.

The final stanza bids each believer to turn away from this world’s distractions and keep heart and mind fixed on Jesus. It’s a matchless meditation: "The world may hold her wealth and gold; But you, my heart, keep Christ as your true treasure. To him hold fast until at last A crown is yours and honor in full measure."

We should be grateful that the world has not added this hymn to the roster of carols blared from loudspeakers at scores of shopping centers. When the world touches holy things, it unfailingly cheapens them. Praise God that we possess this hymn exclusively as our own.

I might note here that this year is the 400th anniversary of Paul Gerhardt’s birth. There have been a number of celebrations and commemorations throughout the Lutheran church over the past year to remember and give thanks for such beautiful hymns.

Waiting for Christmas

Rev. Johann Caauwe2 Comments

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Over the past several years I have become more and more intent to wait through Advent. I have tried hard to wait for Christmas until Christmas. I separate the Advent music from Christmas music in my iTunes library. My family is gracious enough to indulge me and we wait until the last week before Christmas to put up our Christmas tree. I actually even try to avoid the actual Christmas account (unless I’m prepping for something). I want to wait. I want to celebrate Advent and watch and wait and prepare.

I sometimes have to explain or defend myself for this. I have to explain that I’m not some kind of Scrooge. I explain that what I’ve discovered is that when I celebrate Advent, then I can really celebrate Christmas. The longer I wait for Christmas, the richer the message of Christmas becomes, when it finally comes.

Several years ago, when Sara was teaching in Kewaskum and I was at the Seminary, I had the opportunity to sit right in the front during their children’s Christmas Eve service (on Christmas Eve). We sat in the first row not occupied by the kids. This was one of the first years that I consciously "postponed" Christmas. So that year the first time I really paid attention to the Christmas story, especially those precious words in Luke chapter 2, it came from the mouths of children. There they were, just a few feet from me, and they recited their parts—parts that God first assigned to prophets and apostles and even angels. But here God has given this message also to children, ready and eager to proclaim it—to me. And it just about took my breath away. It’s something so simple that a child could recite it. But at the same time it is something that no human can ever comprehend. In fact, the only way we can really grasp it is with the eyes of faith—as a child.

This morning our school kids rehearsed our own Christmas service parts all together for the first time. And even though our service is not on Christmas Eve (it’s the day before), I already know that it will take my breath away. I’ll do my best to wait for it, and when it finally comes, I’ll be glad that the kids are saying it. Because I don’t think I could make it through. The truth is, over the past several years I’ve found that I can hardly make it through the reading of the Christmas Eve Gospel. "Today…a Savior has been born to you." It’s as though my heart can’t quite take it all in. Really? For me? And I feel like I need to stop and breath and try to absorb it.

So the kids will say the words for us, so that the rest of us can just try to take it all in. I’m looking forward to that. Let me know in the comments what you appreciate or remember most about children’s Christmas services.

Advent Candles

Rev. Johann CaauweLeave a comment

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This Sunday our preschoolers and kindergarteners are singing in church. This morning after chapel they were practicing, and I managed to snap a few shots of the kids.

Andrew came with me to church so that he could go to chapel and sing with the kids. (He only goes to preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays and doesn’t normally get to go to chapel.)

Notice the Advent wreath in the background with the first candle lit.