What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • While the shepherds at night were a-watching

    While the shepherds at night were a-watching
    Where their flocks in the fields were abiding
    Th’angel of the Lord came and stood down beside them
    Opened his mouth and then greatly surprised them:
    “Shine Jesus shine. Shine Jesus shine”
    [Chorus]

    Fear not said he for dread had seized them mightily
    Minds were troubled, they all worried frightfully
    I bring you tidings of gladness eternally
    Dance with joy and with me sing supernally…
    “Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine.
    [Chorus]

    Unto you is born now a saviour
    Who is Christ the Lord and he made you.
    He’s of David’s line, a descendent
    Sing now to him for his sign is transcendent:
    “Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine.”
    [Chorus]

    You shall find the heavenly babe there
    To human view he looks lovely and very fair
    All simply wrapped in bands that are swaddling
    Sing to the child in the manger, the Godling:
    “Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine”.
    [Chorus]

    Thus the angel spoke and suddenly
    Throngs of angels appeared singing utterly
    Beautiful music, their praises lasted long
    As they sang forth they repeated the glorious song:
    “Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine”
    [Chorus]

    “Glory be now to God in the highest
    Peace to God’s people” they sang without shyness
    Unto those upon whom his favour rests
    With goodwill, may this song be ever blessed:
    “Shine Jesus Shine. Shine Jesus Shine”
    [Chorus]

4 responses to “Here is the sermon…”

  1. Beth Avatar
    Beth

    I remember that workshop being done as part of an LGBT group meeting. I was slightly skeptical about it in the beginning, but ended up getting a lot out of it and thinking about God in ways that I hadn’t consciously before.

    Reply
  2. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    FWIW, in order to dot some `t’s and cross some `i’s, my sensibly heretical book The Five Gospels colours all the speech black apart from the saying about women grinding corn (which merits a grey, at best). Ie, none of the text goes back to any historical Jesus, with the apocalyptic context added by the gospel authors; the `thief in the night’ is an Christian saying of the early churches (witness other epistles, written before Matthew, where the image appears) and therefore probably planted, in that order, in Matthew.

    I guess taking what you most charitably will out of the passage is entirely reasonable, then. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    (I had to read that, and a bit from Romans at church up here, too… was “interesting” turning a blind eye to it. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Tracey Avatar
    Tracey

    Thanks for that Kelvin. When I read that Gospel at the 8:30 service, i remembered the severe fundamentalist church I was brought up in as a child, and it made me uncomfortable. Reading your comments, I remember my first few visits to an Episcopal worship service and remembering how joyful and non-scary it was, and being amazed by the fact that I didn’t have to be afraid of God. Thanks for the reminder.

    Reply

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