Joy to the World

The last post to our blog, “Renewed Cities,” was in May 2014. We resume our bit of writing during Advent for a few reasons. The first is, I have a little more time. For the majority of this year we have filled the Philadelphia pulpit vacated by the untimely death of a dear friend, Abe Oliver. We have enjoyed the assignment, but preparation and travel time left little time for writing.

Pat’s health has been declining and my father-in-law, Roy W. Kolas Sr., passed away on Flag Day, June 14. Several trips to Indiana left us exhausted and still less discretionary time than usual. We miss Roy’s presence and rich contributions to our life. Pat’s health remains a challenge, and we are making new attempts at establishing routines to help us negotiate the ever-changing byways of Parkinson’s Disease.

We received little feedback to most of our “Renewed Cities” posts and I was secretly hoping someone would say, “We miss you!” Alas, few did and I spent some time evaluating whether or not we should stick with the exercise. 

 Then the “last straw” that set aflame a writing mood, Advent. The nearly total secularization of the glorious and eternal truth, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth, (John 1:14 NIV) is too much for me. I cannot remain silent. At the risk of being tagged as an irrelevant Neanderthal, I will consider ten important Advent hymns we ought to learn and sing. A song is an effective communications medium. The truth of Advent is too important to follow the lead of Radio City Music Hall’s spiritual neutering of the great Message, God has cared enough about us to become one of us so that He could save us!

 We took our grandchildren to Radio City a few days ago. The last scene living nativity left me with a bit of hope after Santa and his elfish minions had center stage for more than 95% of the production. Pat and I attended a brilliant church Christmas pageant but I only recognized one singable song celebrating Jesus’ birth. I don’t expect too much from the secular stage, in my opinion, this is prime time for the church to get her Message out! If the church will sing the Message at her Advent events, in community marketplaces and at her neighbors’ doorsteps, the material on which faith rests will at least be heard once in the year. The songs of Advent have the potential of saving those floundering in darkness.

 The first of my ten selections (with a tip of the hat to David Letterman), is Isaac Watts’ “Joy to the World.” This Advent hymn is important because joy is on equal footing with love, peace, and the other fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22ff). I offer little commentary on Watt’s enduring lyrics, they speak eloquently and effectively and I have nothing to add.

 

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 
I beg the church to sing this faith-building anthem. Sing it often. Sing it well! Sing it until tears well up in people’s eyes. Sing “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground.” Hope warms, then seeps and finally spews as a geyser as the Word that became flesh is discovered. Friends, let’s sing Joy to the World! All together now . . .