It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, ELW 282
1 It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to all,
From heav'n's all gracious king."
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
2 Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heav'nly music floats
O'er all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hov'ring wing,
And ever o'er its babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
3 And you, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow:
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!
4 For lo! The days are hast'ning on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Devotion
This wonder-filled carol, composed by Unitarian minister Edmund Hamilton Sears, exudes “social conscience” more so than most Christmas carols.
As a pastor in the early 19th century, Sears wrestled with issues of human greed propagated by the Gold Rush, emerging conflicts between the northern and southern states and growing sociological challenges, all due to the exploding Industrial Revolution.
This social milieu informed the prophetic words of this great carol. In the midst of sin, injustice and suffering, we are invited to pause and listen to the songs of the angels. Just as these heavenly voices have brought peace to searching souls of yesteryear, they also touch our souls as we quiet our busy lives and really listen. And, as we listen, we just may be invited to recalibrate our priorities and our life’s direction.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, grant us the supreme grace this day to trust, surrender and relinquish all, so that we might receive what you have in store for us and respond with gratitude. Amen.