The imagery, customs and music of Christmas are joyful for many UUs but have emotional baggage for others. Why do we still celebrate or contend with ancient traditions and enjoy singing together, at least at a holiday party?
Prelude: O Come, O Come, Immanuel
Opening Hymn: Lo, How Rose E’er Blooming
Offertory: Sing We Now of Christmas
Hymn: Angels We Have heard on High
Message:
The question mark following the title: “The Most
Wonderful Day of the Year?” is there because, for many
people, the undiluted cheer surrounding us is not helpful.
We are in the dark time of the year, many of us isolated
now by an epidemic, and we are aware of fear and want
in our world.
Christmas music seems to be everywhere. TV ads
feature subliminal –and often not—bits of well known
tunes. There is, for example, the add that softly plays
“Hark how the bells, Sweet silver bells” while a new,
blue Cadillac comes through the mist. Or, a more
assertive version that invites “On, on they send..”
us to iHop.
We Unitarians have to cope with nostalgia versus
scientific knowledge, and the pervasive sensory reminders
that we don’t all necessarily remember Happy
Christmases.
And yet, we’ve had lovely yearly holiday parties
where people join in singing Christmas songs.
I gave a book to a friend with a new grandbaby,
a funny book you may have seen called “Go the F****
to Sleep”. My friend’s young daughter, asked to
read from it aloud, said “I am NOT going to say that
word!”
Our UU hymnal has re-cast many familiar songs
because of sensitivity to “Christmas”. “I am NOT
going to sing those words!” ( I am NOT going to buy
anything made in China or eat anything GMO…”)
But…we would love to know again long lost friends
and family and to experience again togetherness and
generosity of spirit.
To quote the mayor of Whoville, contemplating
the Grinch: “Can we just get back to Christmas
the way it should be?”
I know, from 65 years of accompanying, the
power of music, especially singing together, to stir
emotions- for good and also ill. Even sounds move
us by association. If you should hear:
(exs: Taps, Call to the Post, Stars and Stripes)
you experience the emotional language of music.
Christmas carol words and their imagery are
a composite of many legends.
The literal story of the birth of Jesus, as told in
the Bible, is not central to our UU beliefs. As my
mother would say, “I hae me doots..” But
our principles and worship grow out of European
Christian tradition.
The marvelous thing about the very large
collection of music we inherit around the nativity
story is the evidence of specific beliefs and practices
of diverse cultures in our past as well as the
affirmation of universal truths.
The imagery about motherhood, nature,
sun and moon and the heavens, hope and charity
that are part of the song texts still pulls us in.
Our Opening Words today, by Emerson,
are about the human reaching for SOMETHING
beyond the veil.
In “O Come, O Come, Immanuel” we travel
through the captivity of Israel and the misery of 12th
century Europe into Hope for peace and Redemption,
or connection with the Divine.
“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” brings us to
the divine Something through the universal Mother
and the exquisite beauty of a rose.
I enjoy some holiday movies. These have
simple metaphors. We understand that believing
in Santa is like having hope, that the Grinch’s
preoccupation with getting gifts misses the point
of charity. I think we have to approach Christmas
songs with the same understanding.
It’s interesting that the birth stories of great
religious leaders have certain things in common.
Confucius’ birth heralded power over life
and death, symbolized by the presence of dragons,
and is celebrated at the time of the full moon.
Sources for Buddha’s life conflict and are
full of omens and miracles. His mother gave birth
in a garden under a tree while, traveling to her native
home. She dreamt he was conceived by an elephant,
the god of joy and fortune. Seers predicted his birth
and came to meet him. His birthday is celebrated at
a full moon and represents life, wisdom and death.
Mithra, popular in Jesus’ day, was born on Dec.
25, of a virgin or sometimes from a hole in the rock, which
is what a manger looked like in ancient Israel. He was
a Mediator between God and man, had 12 disciples, and
is associated with the sun and solstice.
So: the visitor from above, a saintly mother,
God coming to man, birth in the natural world, seers
interpreting the heavens, the advent of light bringing
Hope for the future…these are universal archetypes.
I think we can enjoy all the miraculous happenings
in Christmas songs the same way we accept metaphor in
pop culture. Although. I personally dislike mugs and
cushions that say “Believe.”
We like to hear a familiar story. It grounds us
in a cultural sense. We have a mysterious awe of nature
and sense of beauty and a fascination with the unknown,
and we like positive role models, especially in stories
about normal people.
A lovely, intimate story of the Birth is told in
Christina Rossetti’s poem “In the Bleak Midwinter”,
which we’ll sing now.
In the Bleak Midwinter
We also respond to a catchy tune. Chanting
has been a memory aid from the Iliad to Genesis.
If you bring news in a popular folk tune you
can be sure people will repeat it. French
carols are often simple dance tunes. Let’s sing
an example:
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.
We can relate just now to darkness and to death.
many early Christmas songs focus on sacrifice and
redemption. We have liked to think we are not powerless
in the natural world, but for many religious people,
that is where the magic is woven into the legends.
Sacrifice, death, and rebirth are joined in many carols.
In the song We Three Kings of Orent Are, death
is part of the message, as Balthazar brings myrrh,
an embalming fluid.
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Pagan songs accompanied by fertility rituals were
especially targeted by the early Christian church. (Before we
groan in agreement, we should remember that we’ve
changed the words in our own hymnal to cast out dubious
ideas.) Holly and ivy were once popular in solstice
celebrations, so, well, take a good tune and exercise a
little misinformation and you have a song to rival Fox news.
Let’s sing now:
The Holly and the Ivy
Other holidays associated with Christmas time
celebrate the lives of heros and saints, particular
ones whose legends were models of good behavior.
Our closing hymn tells the story of a good king
Closing Hymn; Good King Wenceslas
The missionaries never successfully wiped
out tree worship…so let’s indulge in
(Postlude) O Christmas Tree
And, in closing, let’s remember we can still sing:
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
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