He's Coming (no, I'm not talking about Santa)

 

Last night, after a spontaneous decision to just go for it after craving live orchestral music, I went to see the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus 'Christmas Tales'. The performance included Saint Nicolas by Benjamin Britten, which tells the story of the Saint, who did a number of miracles in his life. One of the stories told in the piece is when he brought back to life three boys who had been cut up and pickled in brine by a butcher whose name wasn't (but probably should have been) Sweeney Todd.

Anyway..... 

The first part of the music that really made me smile was the depiction of his birth. The chorus, telling the story, sang, 

"Nicolas was born in answer to prayer, and leaping from his mother's womb he cried:"

Then a boys voice sang out from the back of the hall "To God be glorified". 

The words then go on to tell the story of Nicolas growing up and how he spoke (sang) of the glory of God wherever he went. That voice from the back of the hall punctuating every bit of the story with glory to God. At the end of the birth section the chorus cries out "Nicolas will be a saint". He rescues sailors caught up in a storm, is made Bishop by the people and the story continues, most famous for his generosity to the poor which many believe began the legend of Santa Claus. 

In the story of St Nicholas, in all the mix up of myth and truth (no one actually knows much about him that is an undisputed fact - he was born, he was Bishop of Myra), we see something of a man who was trying to live a life that did glorify God. In the stories of change, of standing his ground, of helping and caring for those who were in need or had fallen, we see a man whose life pointed and spoke of what he believed, which, naturally points to the one we are waiting for at Advent. The Santa Claus thing - whilst now it distracts us (no, Santa is not a character in the nativity), comes from a place of trying to be Christ's light in the world. 

At the beginning of the Biblical story of Christ's life we find a man who we wouldn't be surprised if when he was born he immediately sang out "To God be glorified". John the Baptist. An answer to the prayers of Elizabeth and Zechariah, conceived far later in their lives than a baby might normally be conceived, created with one task to do, which was to declare that God will be glorified - Jesus is coming. 

As the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah switches from despair to hope, we find our Advent focus moving from waiting and watching to waiting and declaring..... first in a quiet voice, a small voice from the balcony, but the volume will be increased as the story goes on. 

"To God be glorified....." 

He's coming..... (and no, I'm not talking about Santa). Get ready. 

"And he will go on before the Lord..... to make a people prepared for the Lord" Luke 1:17