"In a democracy (‘rule by mob’), those who refuse to learn from history will be the majority and will dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance."
I’ve seen a few citations of John 3:16, as mistranslated by the “New Truckers’ Version” (NIV), in the run-up to Xmas:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
I deplore the “New Truckers’ Version” (NIV) in part because of rather gross mistranslation like this. My only gripe with this is that “monogenes” does NOT mean “one and only son” but “only begotten son”. The two are rather profoundly different.
“One and only” is easily impeached by other scriptural passages, even without simply translating “monogenes” correctly. Adam is called a son of God; Israel is called sons of God, Jesus calls peacemakers sons of God; the resurrected, those who have faith in Christ, etc.: all “sons of God” according to scripture. Jesus is the only BEGOTTEN Son of God: unique, no other like Him.
Yes, I know more and more commonly illiterate folks nowadays might stumble on “begotten,” but that’s just another reason for Xians to be more literate, so we can explain things like the virgin birth, the miracle of the Incarnation.
I’ve never really been satisfied with Gustav Holst’s CRANHAM as a tune for the following poem, probably because the words seem too quietly, gently powerful for the tune, but perhaps you’ll hear it differently in your mind’s ear as you read the words.
In the Bleak Midwinter
By Christina Rossetti
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
I’ve sort of set aside the traditional Advent calendar/observations for a more general “Xmas Month” wherein I ponder the miracle of the Incarnation, plan family events/gift exchanges and catch up on Fall/Winter household tasks, as time presents itself (a hugely increased amount of time, what with no distractions from couch potato entertainment, cos “Christmas” TV shows are almost universally crap).
OK, so Xmas shopping: finished. Xmas dinner: in the freezer and pantry, ready for assembly. Xmas decorations: not yet up, but easy-peasy. Xmas playlist(s): playlists from last several years ready to cue up and play on MCPC. I’d say that December ought to be a piece of cake, assuming I don’t have some weird techie problem handed to me, and even then all that’d be is fun.
Of course, the sky could fall (as it seemed to almost nine years ago with a huge freezing rain that brought power lines and trees down all over the county leaving most of the county w/o power for a month or so) or some other unforeseen event occur, but. . . pantry/freezers, camp stove, oil lamps, etc. Other things could happen to throw the month off kilter, but that’s just life.
Other life events, speed bumps will naturally occur (indeed, a minor car problem for my Wonder Woman as she headed out to one of her libraries this A.M.), but, again: just life.
Looking forward to the rest of December: Xmas Month.
This is more of a challenge to the reader, several, actually.
First challenge: relate the following to Xmas/Advent:
While I have known some atheists who score well on IQ tests, Pascal’s Wager aside, atheism is profoundly arrogant, and arrogance is always stupid. (Challenge #2: Wha!?! Discuss amongst yourselves. The voices in my head have been chewing on this one for decades.)
In a similar fashion, I have known some self-proclaimed agnostics who also score well on IQ tests, but whose mental scotoma (consisting of unconscious, unexamined preconceived biases) prevents them seeing the intellectual dishonesty, laziness, and inherent contradictions of their position. (On that last, ask an agnostic how he can know he doesn’t know if God exists. After he wanders off into the woods of epistemology, then you can start to really have fun playing with his brain. Challenge 3: Discuss amongst yourselves, etc. :-))
And yes, I still assert that this is an Advent/Xmas-related post (that’s the easiest challenge *heh*). Here’s a wee hint: every year around Advent, I start really thinking about Easter. Every year around Easter, I ponder Advent/Xmas. Why would I do that?
While I often find Kristen Chenoweth’s voice to be nasal and brassy, she avoids those problems and gives my fav (this year) rendition of “The Christmas Waltz” as linked below:
Just about perfect. I can listen to that over and over. Good stuff, Maynard. (For the best instrumental rendition, IMO, check out the George Shearing Quintet’s version. Stunning.)
I’ve said nice things about Kristen Chenoweth’s rendition of “The Christmas Waltz” elsewhere (and I promise to do so here as well, Real Soon Now), but she also pretty much nails “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”–apart from the tones she sings through her nose, but since the rest is really, really good, I can forgive that I suppose.
This is a Gospel song that’s not one according to the contemporary, degenerate pop style definition or even the slightly older, very loose “account of personal relationship” description but based on the fact that it tells the Gospel story.
Who Is He in Yonder Stall?
Benjamin Hanby (sometime in the 1860s)
Who is He in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?
’Tis the Lord! oh wondrous story!
’Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!
Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?
Who is He the people bless
For His words of gentleness?
Who is He to whom they bring
All the sick and sorrowing?
Who is He that stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?
Who is He the gathering throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?
Lo! at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?
Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in grief and agony?
Who is He who from the grave
Comes to succor, help, and save?
Who is He who from His throne
Rules through all the worlds alone?
Note that when I used this with choirs (including congregational “choirs”), I would routinely note and direct the singing of the chorus only after specific verses, depending on the season. Other variations on arrangement would generally be added, again depending on the season and my own preference (directorial prerogatives rule! *heh*).
Here’s a very good (very straight) performance from the Moody Bible Institute Choir, from sometime in the 1990s.
The song sung in the video below can be found here: Weihnachslieder: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. The video includes an additional work, “Über die Geburt Jesu,” by Andreas Gryphius (11 October 1616 – 16 July 1664). The song sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the video (accompanied by Jörg Demus) is, “Es senkt sich hehr und leise die heil’ge Nacht herab” by Karl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (1824-1910).
Über die Geburt Jesu
Andreas Gryphius
Nacht, mehr denn lichte Nacht! Nacht, lichter als der Tag,
Nacht, heller als die Sonn’, in der das Licht geboren,
Das Gott, der Licht; in Licht wohnhaftig, ihm erkoren:
O Nacht, die alle Nächt’ und Tage trotzen mag!
O freudenreiche Nacht, in welcher Ach und Klag
Und Finsternis, und was sich auf die Welt verschworen,
Und Furcht und Höllenangst und Schrecken war verloren!
Der Himmel bricht, doch fällt nunmehr kein Donnerschlag.
Der Zeit und Nächte schuf, ist diese Nacht ankommen
Und hat das Recht der Zeit und Fleisch an sich genommen
Und unser Fleisch und Zeit der Ewigkeit vermacht.
Der Jammer trübe Nacht, die schwarze Nacht der Sünden,
Des Grabes Dunkelheit muß durch die Nacht verschwinden.
Nacht, lichter als der Tag! Nacht, mehr denn lichte Nacht!
Weihnachtslied
Karl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke
Es senkt sich hehr und leise die heil’ge Nacht herab,
die Nacht, die uns vor Zeiten der Welten Heiland gab;
und Orgelton und Glockenklang ertönen weit und breit
und bringen uns die Kunde: “Christ wurde uns geboren heut!”
Und Scharen sel’ger Kinder umstehn den Weihnachtsbaum,
der jetzt im Glanz der Kerzen verklärt manch schlichten Raum;
und in der Glocken Töne mischt Kindersang sich ein:
“Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehre und Frieden soll auf Erden sein!”
Despite my nearly lifelong love of Xmas music, including for many years at least six months of the year spent at least thinking about, planning, and preparing a Xmas program for one venue or another, AND having discovered a reason to explore Norwegian hymnody when I married my Wonder Woman, a true Nordic Princess, I first heard this song only a couple of years ago.
Wow.
Some have described the tune and lyrics both as “melancholy,” but before you even hive a listen, I’d like to disabuse you of any such assessment. “Melancholy” should be reserved for those things which evoke “a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.” The music is definitely pensive in mood, but sad? Hardly. The lyrics? I’ll let you judge that.
In English (loosely, I would say, though I’m not a Norwegian/Danish speaker, although this was written by a Dane, it was at a time when the two tongues were even more closely similar than today, and it’s apparently scarcely sung in Denmark, while I’m told a Norwegian Xmas would scarcely be without it):
My heart will always wander
To where our Lord was born,
My thoughts will always go there
And take on their true form.
My longing does belong there,
With the treasure of my faith;
I never shall forget you,
O blessed Christmas night!
I’ll willingly spread branches
Of palms around your bed.
For you and you alone
I will gladly live and die.
Come, let my soul find joy
In this moment of delight:
To see you born right here,
Deep inside my loving heart.
Well, I said I’d let you be the judge, but really, there’s not a sad thought to be found anywhere in those lyrics. (I’d also probably make a couple of small word changes to make the English marry with the tune better, but that’s just being picky.)
Here, give the tune a listen. Pensive, but hardly, IMO, sad. It’s definitely one of my new favs.
Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker
(Traditional, Danish folk tune / H.A. Brorson)
Mitt hjerte alltid vanker
i Jesu føderom,
der samles mine tanker
som i sin hovedsum.
Der er min lengsel hjemme,
der har min tro sin skatt;
jeg kan deg aldri glemme
velsignet julenatt!
Akk, kom jeg opp vil lukke
mitt hjerte og mitt sinn
og full av lengsel sukke:
Kom, Jesus, dog herinn!
Det er ei fremmed bolig,
du har den selv jo kjøpt,
så skal du blive trolig
her i mitt hjerte svøpt.
Jeg gjerne palemgrene
vil om din krybbe strø,
for deg, for deg alene
jeg leve vil og dø.
Kom, la min sjel dog finne
sin rette gledes stund,
at du er født herinne
i hjertets dype grunn
