Advent 2024: Thu 19 Dec
The mystery of the Incarnation
The final reading in the traditional carol service is John’s expression of deep truth from the opening of Gospel that bears his name. We normally stand when these words are spoken, in recognition of their importance, not as the words of Jesus himself, but of a companion who peered into the mystery of the nature of Christ Jesus, God and Man, sent in love to this world and rejected by many.
This text is for grown-ups in faith. It’s not about lullabies in Bethlehem or shepherds, donkeys, angels, magi and the rest of the Nativity cast, but about the Word, who is higher than all these. The Word, He who was with God from the beginning, who became man in loving obedience to Father God, and lived in our world. All credit to the Nine Lessons originator who placed this reading here.
But what carol captures this mystery? There aren’t many. No wassail or ships sailing in or holly or apple tree comes close. No tripping to Bethlehem or little donkey even scratches the surface of the wonder and mystery.
The beautifully crafted words of Come now with awe come close.
…Come now with love; beyond our comprehending
love in its fullness lies in mortal span!
How should we love, whom Love is so befriending?
Love rich in mercy since our race began
now stoops to save us, sighs and sorrows ending,
Jesus our Saviour, Son of God made man.
Timothy Dudley Smith 1984
The writer here struggles to get sound theological teaching to fit comfortably into singable verse:
2 God of God,
Light of Light,
lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
very God,
begotten, not created: [Refrain]
The Hymns Ancient and Modern hymnbook forbade us to sing these words except on Christmas day:
..Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing
It’s because in the same verse we dare to sing “born this happy morning”. We still feel the backwash of this ridiculous injunction today. The Word made flesh was good enough for the final reading, so why ban it for all other days?
And perhaps we might stay awhile on words like
..Hail th’Incarnate deity,
Born as man with man to dwell”
Isaac Watts set a hymn on John 1:
Ere the blue heavens were stretched abroad,
From everlasting was the Word:
With God He was; the Word was God,
And must as God be here adored.
2 By His own power were all things made;
By Him supported all things stand;
He is the whole creation’s Head,
And angels fly at His command.
3 But see, He leaves His home above,
A body takes on earth below,
That He may show His glorious love,
And save us from our guilt and woe.
4 Mortals with joy beheld His face,
The eternal Father’s only Son;
How full of Truth! how full of grace!
When through His eyes the Godhead shone!
5 Archangels leave their high abode
To learn new mysteries here, and tell
The love of our descending God,
The glories of Emmanuel.
It’s in Long Measure (8 syllables per line) and any LM tune will fit the words. Try Jesus, where’er thy people meet. Now try Jesus shall reign where’er the sun, the tune which accompanies it in some hymnbooks.
https://www.youtube.com/live/1fRiD5mq9tk?si=5WtU1-fr-DJnhnzN&t=932
Paul