The Twelth - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
At a traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols, the last reading is from the beginning of the Gospel of St John. This is usually read by a member of clergy, and the congregation stands in recognition of its importance. The reading tells the story of Jesus's birth from a different perspective to those in the Gospels of St Matthew and St Luke, emphasising His divinity, and the fact that God has come to dwell among us. The same theme appears in Charles Wesley's wonderful hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing in the beautiful poetry of the second verse, "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity."
We all love the story of the Baby in the Manger, and I have become dewy-eyed at countless Nativities as small children re-enact it in front of enthralled parents and grandparents. However, for me the most powerful aspect of the Christmas story is that God came to us as a human being to heal the rift between Him and His whole creation. This very human story of a baby being born in the most difficult of circumstances was also an event on a truly cosmic scale. What better way for heaven and earth to celebrate than a sky filled with countless angels singing "Glory to the new-born King"?
Frances Wookey