I sound like Tom Gleeson from Hard Quiz because this week I have really been getting into the song (in case you haven’t noticed) – The Twelve Days of Christmas!
It is a song about a true love who gives – not just Christmas present (take note, Aron) – but a gift on each of the twelve days of Christmas – from Christmas Day to today, the 5th January! And it is a cumulative song – where each verse is built on the previous verses – so each verse is longer than the verse before!
The earliest known publication of The Twelve Days is in an illustrated children’s book, Mirth Without Mischief, published in London in 1780. But there have been many different variations over the years on the gifts that the true loves gives; ‘hares a-running’, ‘ships a-sailing’, ‘fifers fifing’, ‘bulls a-roaring’, and one very practical one for an Aussie summer from William Barnes 1882 collection of Dorset Folklore and Antiquities – ‘men a-mowing’! (Twelve men and women ‘a-mulch spreading’ like we had on Friday perhaps, David! We are very grateful for that gift!)
In 1909, however, the form of the carol, as we know it, was established by composer Frederic Austin, along with his arrangement of a traditional folk as the standard tune.
There have been many suggestions that deeper meanings lie within the song.
According to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, “Suggestions have been made that the gifts have significance, as representing the food or sport for each month of the year.” Some people did think the 12 days of Christmastide might indicate the weather for the months of the coming year, but I am not sure how that relates to the song – unless it is finally raining men – and women and a lot of birds!
Another theory, suggested by Canadian hymnologist, Hugh D. McKellar, in 1979, was that the lyrics were a catechism, a secret code for teaching young English Catholics during the period Catholicism was outlawed in England (1558 until 1829). You can see the meanings McKeller, and others attached to the gifts here. Despite these ‘secret codes’ being very popular on the internet, there is no evidence that this is true.
US bank, PNC, have also used this song as a tongue-in-cheek economic indicator. Each year, since 1984, they create a Christmas Price Index listing the cost of each of the gifts and calculate The True Cost of Christmas – the total cost of the accumulated gifts mentioned. In 2023 the total of the goods and services in 2023 was US $49,263.47 and the accumulated total was US $209,272.00.
The exact meaning and origin of The Twelve Days of Christmas is unknown, but most musicologists agree it originated as a Christmas ‘memory and forfeits’ game in which participants were required to try and remember all the lines of the song sung before them. And perhaps there were additional challenges! William Barnes in Dorset Folklore and Antiquities, again, states the whole of the last verse, “is to be said in one breath”!
But perhaps what is most striking about this song – and has been used to the most comic affect in song parodies and other media – is its accumulation, the number of gifts that are given. When all twelve verses of the song are sung, with all the repetitions, the singer’s true love sends (are you listening, Aron?), by the twelfth day, a total of 364 gifts!
Which brings us – finally – to our reading from Ephesians which is also a passage that overwhelms us with it recitation of all the love and gifts and blessings we have received from God in Christ.
Professor of New Testament, Brian Peterson, writes:
The style here is elevated, even extravagant; it is a bewildering array of participles, pronouns, and genitive forms piled one upon another, forming [in the original Greek] one breathtakingly long sentence. The claims are every bit as extraordinary as the style, as God’s gracious act of salvation is described in the broadest scope possible. Here all creation is declared to be loved and redeemed by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus the rambling form of the sentence…reinforces the claim that there is no end to God’s grace. This is the grammar of worship more than it is the grammar of logical argument….
So here is my breakdown of Ephesians 1:3-14, with a 12 Days of Christmas overlay!
On the first day of Christmas, to try and summarise this passage, our true love gives us all these gifts “according to the riches of his grace”, “according to his good pleasure”, because God’s love for human beings is the great “mystery of his will” (verse 9
On the second day of Christmas, (verse 3) our true love blesses us “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” For Christians, the Holy Spirit is active in our lives now and active in our world.
On the third day of Christmas, we are chosen (verse 4) in Christ “to be holy and blameless” This is not our work. Instead, we are God’s work.
On the fourth day, we are given a family! We are told that we are no longer orphans but adopted (verse 5) by our God who has been longing to adopt us.
On the fifth day we are given – (verse 6) “God’s glorious grace.”
On the 6th and 7th days God’s glorious grace is shown to contain further gifts – (verse 7) forgiveness of our sins (our failure to love) and redemption (being set free from sin and empowered to love again).
On the 8th day (and 8th verse) we are given the gift of wisdom and insight into God’s love – not that we can ever understand it – but so we can know this love is really real.
On the 9th day of Christmas, we are told that God loves our whole world – that Christ is not hell-bent on destroying it, but heaven-sent (verse 10) to “gather up all things in him, things in heaven and on earth.”
On the 10th day we are promised (verse 11) that this reconciled and renewed earth and heaven is our future. And on the 11th day, that this future is now as we (verse 12) “live for the praise of his glory!” Finally on the 12th day, that the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of all the gifts that our true love has given to us.
So, are you ready for this? To sing a cumulative song of God’s grace to us?
“On the 12th day of Christmas our true love gives to us… (join in if you like!) the promised Holy Spirit, a life of singing praises, reconciling work, new earth and heaven, wisdom and insight, redemption and forgiveness – God’s glorious grace! A true family, knowledge we are chosen, Holy Spirit power and God’s love in all its mystery!”
Call to Worship
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me,
angels declaring:
“Good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
And today, on the 12th day of Christmas,
our true love continues to send us gifts:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing”
Let us worship with thanks and praise for the mystery of God’s love.
Loving God,
in this new year may we know these spiritual blessings
your presence with us,
your love at work,
and life in the light of the event that gives us joy forever –
the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Intro
According to the church calendar, followed by many churches around the world, today is the last day of Christmas – the 12th day of Christmas – just like the song! So, today we are singing some of the carols we didn’t manage to fit in in December!
As I light our Christ candle, let us stand and celebrate again the love of God in Jesus coming into our world – While shepherds watched their flocks by night.
Children’s Talk
Singing – While shepherds watched – made me think about writing different lyrics for some of our Christmas carols.
No. It is not – while shepherds washed their socks by night! But new lyrics for The Twelve Days of Christmas! And I thought – seeing as it is the start of the year – that we might be able to think of things we are thankful to God for that happen in each month of the year at this church.
Now I must live up to my reputation for being the serious pastor so the first one – for our Twelve Months of CBC version – is “In the first month of ’25, my true love gave to me, God’s love in all its mystery!”
“In the second month of ’25”…what do you think this is – and this year we celebrate -“96 years of sharing… God’s love in all its mystery!”
…Later – prayer of thanksgiving but wanted to give you thinking time!
Stephen Gee
Thank you, Stephen…we know you have been part of this church for a long time, we are grateful for everyone who is part of the life of this church – as members and as part of our congregation – but today we get to celebrate your commitment to this part of the body of Christ – to our shared life of following Jesus together!
Invitation to Communion
This is the Lord’s table. and our Lord Jesus invites us to share this joyful feast,
on this the 12th day of Christmas. So come, not because you are strong but because you are weak.
Come, not because of any goodness of your own
but because you need God’s mercy and help.
Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.
Come, because he loves you and gave himself for you.
Let’s pray:
Loving God, it is easy for us here to break this bread and share it with one another, to drink this cup and offer it to one another. But as we praise you for your gifts we pray for strength, for it is difficult for us the whole year long, to keep sharing ourselves with one another to reach out our hands to give and receive help. As you are our food and drink, our sustaining and our blessing,
help us to be each other’s food and drink through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Story
On the night of Jesus arrest,
when he and his disciples were gathered around a table,
during the meal, Jesus took bread,
and when he had given thanks for it,
he broke it and said, “This is my body given for you.
Do this to remember me.”
In the same way, after support, he took a cup of wine,
and having given thanks for it, he said,
“This cup is the new relationship with God
made possible because of my death.
Drink it, all of you, to remember me.”
So as Jesus did, and commanded us to do,
we take this bread and wine,
ordinary things of the world,
which remind us of God’s grace to us
God’s work of reconciling earth and heaven.
Let us share this bread together…
Let us share this drink…and hold it so we can drink it together.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Let’s pray:
Loving God, in this celebration we have looked back to the past, to what is done. With Jesus in our midst we look now forward to the future. Let neither the past, nor the present, nor the future, neither joys nor sorrows ever separate us from you. Let your Son be the centre of our lives and the Spirit bind us to you and to one another, in faith, hope and lasting love. Amen.
The Peace
Let us exchange a sign of peace with one another.
The peace of Chiat be with you.
And also with you.
Prayer of Intercession
Lord of yesterday, today and tomorrow,
we gather here on this first Sunday of the New Year,
in a mixture of hope, anticipation, fear, excitement, and expectation.
We do not know what the year holds for us.
there are things we are afraid of:
worries about health and family, job security and finances.
And there is much to look forward to –
weddings or anniversaries or baptisms,
holidays to enjoy, friends to laugh with.
Our hearts are heavy too Lord as we look around our world.
The cycle of violence that grips nations
and destroys the lives of individuals,
the tragedies and the natural disasters.
And yet we also continue to wonder at this world,
its resilience and variety and beauty,
and the extraordinary ways that human being can show care for one another.
Lord God, the coming year is full of uncertainty and hope.
Whatever the year holds for us, though,
we trust You, and we place every day of this year in your care
knowing that, as in the past, You are with us,
caring for us with constant love.
And so we also place ourselves into your keeping
and dedicate our lives to your service
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour. Amen.
~ written by Rev. Ian Elston, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.
Offering Prayer
All that we have and all that we are, the year that lays before us
are your gifts to us, God.
So here we give to you a token of our wealth
asking that it and all we possess be used for your glory.
Amen.
New Years Benediction
May the God who gave us this year and the Saviour who walks at our side each day and the Spirit who fills us with life abundant, grace the coming year with peace and hope and joy, Amen