Let earth and heaven combine

I know we are not supposed to be jealous, especially in this season of giving and love. However, when I read the brilliant words of Charles Wesley, as he sums up the complex theology of the Incarnation with an economy of words, I am a little envious.

Just read this first verse again and note how he manages to explain how we all should worship our Immense God, who managed to surrender himself into the form of the Christ-child. It is incomprehensible. It is truly miraculous.

1. Let earth and heaven combine,
      Angels and men agree,
   To praise in songs Divine
      The' incarnate Deity,
Our God contracted to a span,
Incomprehensibly made man.

2. He laid His glory by,
      He wrapp'd Him in our clay,
   Unmark'd by human eye
      The latent Godhead lay;
Infant of days He here became,
And bore the mild Immanuel's name.

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn around 1745 and it is another ‘hit’ alongside his thousands (over 6000) of songs and hymns. Not bad for a guy who was born the 18^th child of Susanna and Samuel Wesley on the 18^th December 1707. He certainly didn’t let his family status prevent him from glorifying his Saviour. Charles was 80 years old when he died in 1788.

Let us not make excuses this year, as to why we can’t worship Jesus. May our voices join with those in heaven, and on earth, as we proclaim Jesus as our Immanuel.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

You left your Throne (Thou didst leave thy throne)

Thanks for the feedback I received from a few of you regarding the songs/hymns you would like me to write about this advent season. One of the requests concerns this beautiful song:

“Thou didst leave thy throne
And thy kingly crown
When thou camest to earth for me
But in Bethlehem’s home
Was there found no room
For thy holy nativity:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
There is room in my heart for thee.” – Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott

When Emily wrote the words of this song she was trying to use music to teach young children the powerful story of Christ’s birth. It is thought that she wrote the song for the church her dad (Rev. Edward Elliott) was leading – St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Brighton, England. She based this song on the words from Luke’s gospel: Luke 2:7 “but there was no room for them in the inn.”

It seems as if writing and music was in the Elliott blood. Emily’s famous aunt was Charlotte Elliott, who wrote the well-known hymn ‘Just as I am.’ One of Emily’s works ‘Under the Pillow’ was a collection of her hymns, which was used especially to bring encouragement and hope to those who found themselves in hospitals and infirmaries.

For me there are 2 powerful statements that I am left contemplating today:

1. Jesus left his throne (and Kingdom) to come and live among us. Although the kingdom of God has no boundaries and is limitless, Jesus was initially given no room to sleep in, except for the dusty stable in Bethlehem.

 2.      Is there room in my heart for the Christ-child this year? Or have I allowed all the complications of this world to take up all the space in my spirit and therefore given God no room to bring me peace, joy, love and hope?

What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3