Why did the angels sings Gloria?  Why did the shepherds sing the Gloria?  Why do we sing the Gloria?

The setting was this: the angels had come to the shepherds. There were shepherds out in the fields, watching their flocks by night, and an angel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord was all around them, and the shepherds were very much afraid. The angel said to them: Fear not, for I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people, for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This shall be a sign for you, you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Suddenly, there was with that angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts, hundreds of thousands of angels together, singing, with a female sound (women in choir, no organ, no pause): Glooooooooooooooia, in excelsis deo. (The surprise singing in this sermon is fun, and everyone enjoys the planned-in-advance surprise.)

Now, why? Why were those angels singing the Gloria? Why? Because they had been told that the Christ child was for them, and understanding that the Christ child was for them personally, they began to sing the Gloria.

So, initially, after the angels had sung for the shepherds, the shepherds did not understand. They did not understand that the Christ child was for them, and therefore initially, they did not sing the Gloria. The shepherds finally came to the manger, to the cave where Jesus was sleeping in the straw, and Mary took the child from the manger of straw and gave the child to the shepherds and said: “For you, for you is born this day.” And a shepherd took the baby into his arms and asked: For me? For us? When the shepherds finally understood that the Christ child was to be their very own, the Bible goes on to say, then the shepherds went home, glorifying God singing in a male sound, (men in choir, no organ, no pause) “Glooooooooooooooria. In Excelsis Deo.”

Then the angel takes us, you and me, to the manger and Mary picks up the baby, the Christ child, and the baby Jesus is placed into your hands, and you take the Christ child and you hold the Christ child to your breast, and you look into his eyes, and you realize, deeply, that the Christ child is for you. When you realize the Christ child is your very own, it is then that you start to sing (pastor sings) “Gloooooooooooria. In Excelis Deo.”

The word, Gloria, comes from the word, glory. The glory is the Jewish Shekinah. The Shekinah is glory is the Divine Presence of God. In the Old Testament, the glorious Presence of God was the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. You could see the pillar of fire; you could see the cloud. The glory Presence of God is ultra bright. God’s glory is firey light. God’s glory above us is the glow-ria of the angels in the sky. The glowing Presence of the angels in the sky then becomes the glowing Presence of God in one’s own heart. The glow from the sky becomes the glowing fire of God within. When you realize that Christ is for you, your very own, you then begin to sense the glow-ria, an inner glow, a glow-ria in one’s heart. When there is a glow-ria in one’s heart, one begins to sing the Gloria on one’s lips. The glowing light goes from sky to heart to lips.

Some of you children who are here tonight, do you remember your first tricycle? Or how about when you grew a little older and you were given our first bike, your first bicycle? Your own bike? Not your neighbors. Not your friends. Not your brother’s or sister’s but your very own bicycle? Do you remember the thrill, the glow that you felt about that? Or, do you remember your first car? I bet you do. Do you remember the feeling inside when you drove that first car? I keenly remember that ’49 brown Chevrolet. I can still see it and smell it from so many years ago, because it was my first, very own car. Or, how about that first apartment, with the crumby furniture, where you could do what you wanted to do with the place in which you were living? There was an inner glow, a glowing satisfaction. Or how about your first home? For those of you who have a home, do you remember that first little spot you had that you called a home? The backyard. The kitchen. The old bathroom of your first home? Do you remember that glowing satisfaction of having your first home.

Do you remember your first child? That first child that was born or adopted your very own, and the glow that was inside of you? How can you forget the inner glow that accompanied your first child? Yes, we all remember the inner satisfaction and inner glow from our first tricycle, bicycle, car, apartment, home, and child, when these became ours. 

 It doesn’t seem that long ago. It is as clear as yesterday. It was in the morning, 6:30, a Sunday morning, and I heard the patter of little feet. The patter of the feet came into the kitchen, and it was dark in our kitchen except for the light above the kitchen table. I was putting the finishing touches on the Sunday sermon, and the little child came in half asleep, and he said to me, “Where’s the scissors, Dad?” I gave him the scissors and he went over to where there was a chain which was made of paper, a paper chain link for each of the days of Advent. He went and cut off the chain and said, “Dad, one more day to Christmas!” Then that little boy got up into my lap, and he put his arms around my neck, and he just sat there and hugged me, for what seemed like five minutes of stillness and five minutes of love. I put my arms around his little body and that child was my very own, my very own child, belonging to the world, belonging to my wife, belonging to his family, belonging to God, but also, belonging to me, my very own. And there was an inner glow of satisfaction deep within me.

And when you finally realize that Christ is your very own, not only for all the world, not only for all the shepherds, not only for all the angels, but when you realize that Christ is your very own, that the gift of eternal life is for you, …that the gift of God’s healing is for you … that the gift of God’s forgiveness is for you … that the gift of a new birth of love is for you. When you finally understand that Christ is for you, you take Christ into your arms and you hold him. You hold him in your arms and when you understand, there is the glow-ria in your heart, and you begin to sing the Gloria.

Let us together sing, the Gloria. (Organ leads, and the whole congregation joins in singing the refrain of the Gloria.)

Rev. Edward Markquart