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"Christmas"
and a few lines of 17th century poetry. The subject is the shepherds' worship. LUKE 2:20 The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (NIV) [After a first-hand encounter with heavenly messengers and an "up close and personal" view of the promised child, I wonder what the shepherds' "glorifying and praising" was like? Did they sing? Did they pray? Did they recite scripture? Were they changed forever?] THE POEM The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be? My God, no hymn for thee? My soul's a shepherd too: a flock it feeds Of thoughts, and words, and deeds. The pasture is Thy Word; the streams, Thy Grace Enriching all the place. Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers Out-sing the daylight hours. -George Herbert (1593-1633) from the poem "Christmas" as found in Ralph Vaughan Williams' grand Christmas cantata HODIE (THIS DAY). The text of the cantata combines scripture passages (Matthew 1, Luke 2, and John 1) with an exciting array of British poets - John Milton, Miles Coverdale, Thomas Hardy, George Herbert, William Drummond, and the composer's wife, Ursula Vaughan Williams. AN INVITATION [Those of you within a reasonable drive of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, will have an opportunity to hear this amazing work on December 18 when it will be performed by the Chapel Hill Carrboro Community Chorus and Musica Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Carl Stam. The performance will feature soprano Elizabeth Linnartz, tenor Stafford Wing, baritone James Longmire, and the 34-voice Nicolas Children's Chorus. Also on the program is Bach's WIE SCHON LEUCHTET DER MORGERNSTERN, BWV 1 ("How brightly shines the morning star"). The concert is at 8:00pm, on December 18, 1998, in Hill Hall Auditorium, on the Campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (directly behind University United Methodist Church on Franklin Street). Tickets are $8 ($5 for children) and are available at the door.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Pastor of Worship and Music Chapel Hill Bible Church Chapel Hill, North Carolina |