The Best Christmas Song Series

I hear a black choir singing and the Blues Brothers playing with profound energy, sweat, swaying motion and high pitched emotion-‘In that great getting’ up morning” This music must be played loud! It has to be energetic presented with emotion.

Illustration

I heard how a black preacher preached a funeral with power. He stood behind the pulpit and told the congregation about the saving work of Jesus. Then he walked to the family and preached from John 14 about the mansions in heaven prepared for those who love Jesus. Finally, the preacher walked to the casket and preached to the dead man for 20 minutes. The dead man was Clarence. The preacher went on about how he wanted to thank Clarence for all his love, gifts and acts of selflessness to the church and the community. When he had said all he could think of about Clarence he said, “Clarence, I’m done.” When your done it is time to quit. So Clarence, we don’t say good bye because we will see you again. So I say, ”Good night Clarence” and with that he slammed the lid on the casket and the choir erupted with song. “In that great getting up mornin’ we shall rise.” And with joy and expectation they took Clarence to the cemetery where his body waits for the resurrection. That is the way to have a funeral.

I see dancers doing jumps, and twists for joy. I see works of art depicting unspeakable happiness and eternal praise in bold reds, yellows, greens and white. A flight of blue angels streaks overhead. The Calvary rides the trail. The sun comes out from behind a cloud after three days of rain. Ed McMan is ringing your doorbell.

Was it F.J. Hyden who wrote “The surprise symphony”? Maybe we should hire him to help us with this section.

The phrases of the music must present newfound confidence. The weak places now are strong. The broken -fixed. The lost—found. The divided—together. The impossible—possible.

We can look for inspiration to a cancer patient that has just been declared free from cancer. We can see the expressions of a family who just takes the key to their habitat for humanity house and opens the door for the first time on a home of their own. We can see hope in the eyes of a childless couple who just sees their adopted daughter for the first time. We can find hope in lots of places, but hope does not exist if Jesus had stayed in the ground.

How do you end such a song? Everything has been said. Every human emotion has been touched. The awful truth has been faced-God’s amazing grace presented in the death of His son and the surprise event of resurrection celebrated.

It would have to end by asking the most obvious question.

Which verse are you going to sing?

Reject the song and sing verse one forever.

Reject Christ and miss the great getting’ up morning

Receive Jesus with joy and sing verse three forever