Praise the mystic Three in One

Praise the mystic Three in One

1*
God, the first-born sons of light,
In choral symphonies,
Praise by day, day without night,
And never, never cease.
Angels, and archangels, all
Praise the mystic Three in One.
Sing, and stop, and gaze, and fall
Overwhelmed before your throne.

2
A thousand oracles divine
Their common tongues unite,
That sinners may with angels join,
To worship God aright.

3
Triumphant host! they never cease
To laud and magnify
The triune God of holiness,
Whose glory fills the sky.

4*
Good and right it is to sing,
In every time and place,
Glory to our heavenly King,
The God of truth and grace.
Join we then the sweet accord,
Beneath the circuit of the sun,
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Praise the mystic Three in One.

5
By faith the upper choir we meet,
And join with them to sing
Jehovah, on his shining seat,
Our Maker and our King.

6
As God, made flesh, is wholly ours,
We’ll praise as best we can
The Father of celestial powers,
The Friend of earth-born man.

______________________

Charles Wesley, 1707-88,
2 Wesley hymns blended;
alt. Littlerood, 2014
adapted from Hymns for the M. E. Church, 1855; #22 & #95
*(1 & 4) meter: 76, 76, 77, 77; others C.M.
the joy and duty of saints to join with angels in the sincere worship of God Triune

—old song in need of a new tune

______________________

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The Christmas Festival

Day 3, At home this Christmas with the Church Fathers

THE FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS is a celebration of Jesus Christ entering the world as its rescuer, the eternal Son of God breaking into time and space as its champion, its center, its salvation.

♦ ”In the person of Christ a man has not become God; God has become man.” — Cyril of Alexandria, Egypt, A.D. 376-444

♦ ”Although Christ was God, he took flesh; and having been made man, he remained what he was, God.” — Origin, c. 185-253

We don’t begrudge any pleasant cultural trappings that have attached themselves to this holiday—gift-giving, yuletide trees, lovely lights, mulled wine, and so on. But at the bottom of it, sounding the reality behind the trappings, these pleasantries have no particular bearing on the substance of things. The essence of Christmas is Christ, in the same way that it is sometimes said that “Christ is Christianity.” Indeed the whole of authentic Christianity is nothing more than a signpost to Jesus Christ, the Christ-focused faith once delivered to the saints, and the way of knowing God properly and living faithfully before him in the power of Jesus Christ.  As we look for others to worship alongside, this is the one indispensable factor that must be present—they must be a community that never tires of talking about Jesus Christ, a group of reclaimed sinners who refuse to focus on anything other than him who is altogether lovely. Having come to know Christ, the believer is convinced that every guide outside of this way of Christ is the way of the world, the blind leading the blind into swamps of error and perdition. Therefore, we attach ourselves to Jesus, and fix our eyes on him.

One of our ancient creeds that focuses on the person and work of Jesus is drawn from the lectures of Cyril of Jerusalem, who in A.D. 348 was preparing candidates for baptism.

“We believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father, Very God, before all worlds, by whom all things were made, who came in the flesh, and was made man of the virgin and the Holy Spirit. He was crucified and buried, he rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven, and sat on the right hand of the Father, and he comes in glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.”

Without apology, ours is a Christ-centered faith. We love to extol the beauty and supremacy of our Savior. We very much think like Lucian of Antioch, who in another early creed celebrates him as Jesus, the Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, God of God, Lord of Lord, the living Word, Wisdom, Life, True Light, Resurrection, the Divine Logos, our Mediator, and Shepherd of the sheep. And we guard our hearts with these kinds of scriptural metaphors, creedal manifestos and similar symbols.

This exuberant language about Jesus, obviously, is not the tenor of the world. And so, we strive to love Christ more the world with its charms and maxims. We shun everything that would rival Christ in our minds and lives; we distance ourselves from all false teaching that dishonors Jesus Christ and disturbs the peace and purity of his Church. Do not be surprised when you are confronted with competing notions and counterfeits of Jesus Christ—whose image we find in the Scriptures alone. Jesus himself warned that there would be many false Christs and many wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking to devour whomever they meet upon. In all ages Christ is the primary target of not only secularizing forces and of the would be gods of earth, but of religious liars, charlatans, and of those who teach things contrary to the faith and focus of the Scriptures. Many are hard at work hoping to make key biblical truths obscure and opaque in order to advance their own pet notions, unscriptural fancies, and deceitful doctrines. But Jesus the good Shepherd knows how to call and to keep safe his sheep. No matter who or what eyes him with envy, Jesus Christ will ensure his eminence and exaltation in human history, in eternity, and in the hearts of his people.

Deliver us, Lord Jesus, from everything false, from every worldview and fancy that does not make much of you or eagerly exalt you. Be to us a Deliverer, a Christ come and crucified, a Liberator who frees us from every bondage, a Renovator who makes all things new, a Redeemer from sin, our Alpha and Omega, our all in all, our God and our Savior.

♦ https://lutterworthsociety.wordpress.com ♦

_____________

Christmas 2016
kdd
♦

 

 

Christmas with the Church Fathers

Day 2,  Athanasius on the Incarnation

Echoing the experience and conviction of countless millions across the globe and through the centuries, the 4th century scholar Athanasius asserted,  “Jesus whom I know as my Redeemer cannot be less than God.” The growing influence of unorthodox churches in his day made such declarations and more necessary.  Many of the early Church councils were called together to answer unsound and unscriptural notions that from time to time gain momentum among unstable or poorly taught believers. Nothing much has changed. Today, we still struggle to understand the testimony of the Bible about Jesus, or, in any event, struggle at least to have it read in a manner convenient to our own worldviews. Whether we are or not, the Bible is clear about Jesus.

Key among the issues that arose in the first 5 centuries of the spreading Church were questions about the Son of God whom we celebrate at Christmas. Who exactly was Jesus? Was he really a man, or perhaps an angel or a phantom? Was he fully God? Did he have more than one nature? – questions like these demanded to be answered, and the churches across the Roman empire were up to the task. We have still extant many important books written by Athanasius and several other early church leaders that deal with these very questions. They may not be on the New York Times’ Bestseller List, but every good theological library has critical editions of these great works. The fruit of this biblical and theological scholarship also made its way into commonly received creeds and a great many ancient hymns, some of which we still recite and sing today.  O Come All Ye Faithful and Of the Father’s Love Begotten are only two of the thousands of beautiful hymns that celebrate the festival of Christmas. The birth of Christ, the incarnation of the Word of God, has always captured the imagination of the world.

A widely circulated medieval creed attempts to summarize the high points of Athanasius’ teaching on Christ the incarnate Word in the context of the Christian understanding of a Triune God. We enclose an excerpt. And if you think this creed is a mouthful, you should try singing my own hymn, Little Pearls of Athanasius, which follows.

“. . . Now this is the Catholic [worldwide Christian] faith: that we worship one God in trinity and trinity in unity – neither confusing persons, nor dividing the substance. For the Father’s person is one, the Son’s another and the Holy Spirit’s another. But the deity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one. Their glory is equal and their majesty coeternal . . . . it is also necessary to believe faithfully in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For correct faith is believing and confessing that our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is equally God and man. God he is, begotten from the Father’s substance before time; man he is, born from his mother’s substance in time. He is both perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh. He is equal to the Father, as God; less than the Father, as man.

“Although he is both God and man, yet he is not two but one Christ. He is one however, not by the conversion of his deity into flesh, but by the taking up of his humanity into God. He is one indeed, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For just as a rational soul and flesh make one man, so also God and man make one Christ . . . .”

— The Athanasian Creed,                     circa 5-8th century

LITTLE PEARLS OF ATHANASIUS

1
little pearls of Athanasius *
cast into our hymnody,**
smooth round words strung close and creedal,
fencing faith’s catholicity.
pure and uncreate, one Substance,
co-eternal Majesty,
milk to faith, choice meat to angels,
bones to bare philosophy.
2
Godhead Equal in the sequel,
blackened-out of histories,
Light of Light shines in the volume
paginating mysteries.
strong Nice words for God incarnate,*
taking manhood openly,
now in mortal flesh appearing,
king of angels comes to me.
3
little pearls of Athanasius:
Unity in Trinity–
snakes and swine and devils cavil–
hung in high divinity.
no confusion, love’s transfusion,
perfect God, and perfect Man,
incarnation, no frustration,
earth cannot, but heaven can.
4
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–
he therefore that will be saved,
must thus think, and solely worship,
lies be damned, and language braved.
mercy, seize us, O Lord Jesus,
my heart’s mind cannot speak well.
lost in nature’s nomenclatures,
words forget my tongue to tell.
5
curse the world’s new catechisms,
break their chains that bind from birth,
God of God, let us adore him,
leave these little lords of earth.
strong Nice words for God incarnate,
taking manhood openly,
now in mortal flesh appearing,
king of angels comes to me.

____________________________

K. Dale Davis, tune: Hyfrydol 87.87.
* the Nicene & Athanasian Creeds are early declarations
affirmed by many Christian traditions.
** e.g. O come all ye faithful, et al.

Christmas with the Church Fathers

Day 1,  the unexpected holiday guests

Yeah, so, it really wasn’t what I had in mind, but as Christmas approached, suddenly, without telegraphing their intentions, not even an email or a courtesy phone call, the Church Fathers showed up at my doorstep demanding a little hospitality. Those fellas are always showing up at the most inconvenient times. I mean it’s Christmas, you know! But like Jacob wrestling with the angel (in this case I am the reluctant angel; anyone could guess I would play the angel), the spokesman for the Church Fathers informed me that the entire lot of them required a blessing. They said they wouldn’t leave until I gave them the oxygen of publicity on social media. I always knew it was only a matter of time until some of those old guys wanted to be friended on Facebook. Also, some of them said that they would really like some figgy pudding if it wasn’t too much trouble. So as soon as I do a little Facebook magic, and find out what figgy pudding is, they’ll be on their way.

Look, gentlemen, I think the best I can do is to pass around a little microphone for all of you to say whatever you’d like to say about Christmas, and then you all have to promise to scaddattle out of here. Tertullian looked at the others and said, “I’m good with that, but what is a microphone?” “Is it anything like figgy pudding?” asked Chrysostom. This was going to be a long holiday.

But Origin shrugged and declared that he was not particularly afraid of new things, or even questionable speculation, so hand me that there micro-phobe.

— #1.
When Plato says that it is difficult to see the maker and Father of the universe, we Christians agree with him. And yet he can be seen, for it is written: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Moreover, he who is the image of the invisible God has said: “He who sees me, has seen the Father.” — Origin, c. 185-253

“Speaking of things difficult to see, this stuff is nasty, is there any sweetener for the coffee?” inquired St. Augustine.

“Ssshhh!….” chided Lucian of Antioch; and then whispered to the Syrian fathers, “Just ‘cause he’s a ‘doctor of the Church’ he thinks he can ask for anything.”

At which point, Irenaeus, having taken a break from scolding heretics and glad to be among the brethren, stood and spoke a word of truth and consensus:

— #2.
God the Father uncreated, who is uncontained, invisible, one God, creator of the universe; this is the first article of our faith . . . And the Word of God, the Son of God, our lord Jesus Christ . . . who, in the fullness of time, in order to gather all things to himself, he became a human being amongst human beings, capable of being seen and touched, to destroy death, bring life, and restore fellowship between God and humanity. And the Holy Spirit . . . who, in the fullness of time, was poured out in a new way on our human nature in order to renew humanity throughout the entire world in the sight of God.
— Irenaeus, d. 180, Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching.

They all Amened, and bumped fists, saying, “Now that is a wise and true statement summarizing our faith. God Triune has restored for us a relationship with himself by virtue of Christ our Lord who came in the fullness of time.”

“Brother, can we stay until tomorrow?” one of them asked. Yes, I acquiesced, you men can stay until tomorrow. Especially you, Athanasius, something tells me you’ll have plenty to say about the nature of Christ and Christmas.

“All this reminds me of that little Christmas song that Prudentius has written!” mused Ambrose of Milan.

“It’s not THAT little,” complained Gregory of Nazianzus under his breathe.

Clearing his throat, Ambrose insisted, “Come, brother Prudentius, let’s hear it again.”

“Admittedly,” said Gregory backing down, “It is beautiful.”

— #3. OF THE FATHER’S LOVE BEGOTTEN

— part 1 —

1
of the Father’s love begotten
before worlds from chaos rose
he is Alpha, from that fountain
all that is and has been flows
of all things he is Omega
his word marks the mystic close
— evermore and evermore!

2
by his word was all created
he commanded, it was done
earth and sky and boundless ocean
universe of three and one
all that sees the moon’s soft radiance
all that breathes beneath the sun
— evermore and evermore!

3
he assumed this mortal body
frail and feeble, doomed to die
that the race from dust created
might not perish utterly
which the dreadful law had sentenced
in the depths of hell to lie
— evermore and evermore!

4
oh how blest that wondrous birthday
when the maid the curse retrieved
brought to birth mankind’s salvation
by the Holy Ghost conceived
and the babe, the world’s Redeemer
seen and in the world believed
— evermore and evermore!

5
sing, you heights of heaven, adore him
angels and archangels sing
powers, dominions, bow before him
and extol our God and King
let no tongue on earth be silent
every voice in concert ring
— evermore and evermore!

— part 2 —

6
this is he whom seer and sybil
sang in ages long gone by
this is he of old revealèd
in the page of prophecy
look, he comes the promised Savior
let the world his praises cry!
— evermore and evermore!

7
let no art portray us righteous
as though we deserved his grace
Christ came only for the wicked
to this false and painted place
shrouded in a canvas lowly
born the Savior of our race
— evermore and evermore!

8
now let old and young uniting
men and boys in chorus sing
matrons, virgins, little maidens
with glad voices answering
let their songs echo the angels
and the heart its music bring
— evermore and evermore!

9
winter storm and summer sunshine
let each stream and sounding shore
sea and forest, dale and mountain
day and night their LORD adore
let creation join to laud him
through the ages evermore
— evermore and evermore!

10
sing, you heights of heaven, adore him
angels and archangels sing
powers, dominions, bow before him
and extol our God and King
let no tongue on earth be silent
every voice in concert ring
— evermore and evermore!

________________________

aurelius clemens prudentius, 348-413
trans. john mason neale, 1854,
unconscionably altered, k.dale davis, 2016, stanza7 added, 8.7.8.7.8.7.7. meter

The Everlasting Word

1
Christ is the everlasting Word
The Father’s only Son
God manifestly seen and heard
And heaven’s belovèd One

He took the likeness of a slave
That he might better serve and save

2
In Christ most perfectly expressed
The Father’s glories shine
Of the full Deity possessed
Eternally Divine

God placed a crown upon his brow
That every knee to him should bow

3
True Image of the Infinite
Whose essence is concealed
Brightness of uncreated light
The heart of God revealed

He took the likeness of a slave
That he might better serve and save

4
But the high mysteries of his Name
An angel’s grasp transcend
The Father only (glorious claim!)
The Son can comprehend

God placed a crown upon his brow
That every knee to him should bow

5
Throughout the universe of bliss
The center and our sun
The eternal theme of praise is this:
God’s own belovèd One

He took the likeness of a slave
That he might better serve and save

______________________________

Josiah Conder, 1836; Littlerood, 2017
Christ the everlasting Word
and Image of the invisible God