Difficulties With A Christmas Carol

For the past 48 hours, I’ve had a Christmas Carol buzzing in my head, soloing on my breath, and being the only set of words that make me feel like it’s Christmas. In the mid-19th century (1843’ish), a French song revolved around the Gospel Luke’s opening phrase. The angels sang to the tune of an existing hymn welcoming the birth of Jesus. In Latin, the phrase speaks the words we know and sing: “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” or as it is translated, “Glory to God in the Highest.”

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:14 NKJV

When we sing it well, the first syllable of Gloria (Glo-) is held for 16 notes of a “…rising and falling melismatic melodic sequence.” [Source] Melismatic means a single syllable of a word held for multiple notes.

Glo-[hold for 16 melodic sequence]-ria in Excelsis Deo.

I’ve walked, shopped, written, watched, mouthed, thought, and whispered those 16 notes. Without counting, I’m sure I’ve added and dropped notes along the way. Surely my imagination and vocalization cannot do the angels justice as they must have been.

Imagine a crowd of angels singing in harmony. Strong voices were singing in rhythm and harmony. Melodic tones to a musical score we can only guess its sound. Because of this Christmas Carol, we imagine how angels must sound. Surely!

Give Glory to God! In the Highest. Can we give him more glory than he already has? No. There is none higher than our God.

Throughout the Bible, you will find Moses telling Pharaoh, “There is none like unto the Lord Our God.” (Exodus 8:10) Later, the Lord tells Moses to utter the exact words but from a personal perspective of Himself. There is “…none like me in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:14)

Yet, we can ascribe to him more glory than we’ve given before! In our heart, mind, soul, body, and strength. We can only give Him more glory than anyone else or anything else.

But Wait, There’s More

What more do we need to know? Did not the angels give us enough? Yes, but the Christmas Carol misses the angel’s benediction to their worship. “And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!“ For the angels to utter this phrase tells me this was the plan of God, and they knew it! It’s not a secret wish or a silent hope. It is to be sung and shouted while Giving Glory To God in the Highest! Peace! Goodwill!

On traveling to the Americas in 1735, John Wesley [Source] witnessed the peace a particular group of people had when a storm threatened to overwhelm and sink their ship. Though many passengers screamed in fear, the Moravians continued singing to God, seemingly unconcerned about the threatened journey. Wesley thought and wrote about it later.

“This was the most glorious day that I have yet seen.”
~John Wesley, Journal 25 January 1736.

His summation brings me to my point. John realized that the Moravians knew something better than he did. Theirs was an absolute trust in God. “They were prepared to lose their lives because they knew that God was never going to let them go.”

How can we be so trusting and faithful that we do not fear for our life? Have we reached the point where it’s more important to be present here when we should know God’s plan that may be it’s better to be there?

After Jesus told of the Comforter (Holy Spirit) that would come after he was gone, he then uttered these famous words:

Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27 KJV

With his coming, the angels sing of His peace, and with his going, Jesus says he will “leave” peace and “give” what the world cannot give, and as I imagine it, the world cannot take it away.

Where is your Peace today? Sing Gloria in Excelsis Deo and believe it, but do not take away the benediction that tells of Peace and Goodwill. There is still a better day and plan of God ahead. Trust in Him. He will never leave you, nor ever forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)