Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols
What does it mean to “Hark?”
We just sang the wonderfully well-known hymn, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”
The original name for the hymn was “Hark how all the Welkin rings.”
While it doesn’t roll or ring off the tongue, oh, how encompassing.
The “Welkin rings” means, oh, how the heavenly host sings.
A cosmic choir resounding, uniting, calling the men of Earth to come, listen, and see.
A newborn king for you and me.
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But outside of tonight, who will hearken or see, this middle English language has become foreign to thee?
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Yet, for a night, listen closely, you see, as the choirs of angels call unto thee.
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“Hark!”
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Don’t tune out or discount.
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“Hearken!,” my friends.
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Give a listen! Give an ear! And attend!
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See how the world and cosmos surround you; see it call, petition, and want you.
The alarm in the morning arouses, to tasks and demands that await you.
Then, there’s the voices and pleas of family and children; they want nothing more than your admiration.
Just as the phone interrupts and alerts, it rings, and it calls for your attention.
Surely, you see how the world is hearkening and pulling at your heartstrings.
It’s tempting your faith and fidelity.
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It hearkens and weighs on your body and soul with dreadful feelings of distress and misery.
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But listen closely this night as we hearken to the tears of a newborn’s cry, come again to His manger nigh, join the heavenly chorus, and sing,
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
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Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Peace in the hearts where war once raged.
Mercy from the newborn King.
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For once, you were enemies, but now, as you look, this, the Christ child removes the divide, the guilt.
He goes to your cross; He dies for your life; he opens the heavens so the Welkin sings. (Romans 5:10)
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The cosmos rejoices as His Father looks on.
His gift for you is His forgiveness, His peace.
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To put away your anger, hatred, and strife.
The anxiety and stress that has filled your life.
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But of course He came in the most unusual of ways,
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
As we sang,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
It’s incomprehensible, in reality, that God would take upon Himself the flesh of you and me.
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But listen closely to the manger this night as He came to redeem, He came for both you and me.
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So sing to…
The heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Sing to…
The Sun of Righteousness!
For this, He was born,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
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So put away this world, and all its noise, let this be the news that hearkens this night; let it hearken you every day, every morning, noon, and night.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
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He came for you, he came for me, he comes to redeem our humanity.
So let us gather, let us sing, let us join the Welkin as it rings,
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Merry Christmas.
