January 5 - In the Bleak Midwinter

I must confess that while I love the pomp and circumstance of "Hark! the Herald" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "In the Bleak Midwinter" is my favorite carol. To me, the combination of simplicity and profundity in the words and the music perfectly capture the spirit of the Incarnation.

The poet, Christina Rosetti, accomplishes this through the use of contrast. First, she sets the scene. Although, we are not sure when Jesus was actually born and what season it was, Rosetti pictures the scene in the depth of winter, the same time of year that those of us in the Northern Hemisphere experience the celebration of Christmas. The bleakness of winter helps us to picture the desolation of our world into which God entered with the light and warmth of love.

Rosetti then begins to contrast the greatness of God with the nature of the birth of Christ. Heaven cannot contain God, earth cannot sustain God, they will both flee at the coming of the reign of God, and yet, at God's first Advent, a stable sufficed. It was enough for the God of the universe, who angels and archangels continually worship, to be adored by animals, to sleep in a feeding trough, and to nurse at a human woman's breast.

Despite the brilliance of these verses, it is the final verse that makes this hymn so moving. Given the overwhelming love of God revealed to us in Jesus, what should our response be? Rosetti uses the characters from the Christmas story to communicate that our response should be to give everything in return to the God who gives everything to us. One could misinterpret Rosetti's sentiment by thinking that one's private devotion is all that is required; however, what she is saying is that we should give God whatever we have. All of it. Our time, our wealth, our energy, our heart. Only with that kind of reckless generosity will we begin to understand the Spirit of Jesus, who "did not regard quality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8)." That is the wonderful recklessness of the Incarnation. This is the paradox that "In the Bleak Midwinter" expresses so beautifully. In the bleak midwinter, a stable place sufficed the Lord Almighty, Jesus Christ.

You are encouraged to enter into a time of silent confession and meditation followed by the closing prayer.

Closing Prayer
Almighty God, angels worship you night and day, heaven and earth flee at your holiness, and yet you took on human flesh and became like a slave for our sake. Remind us of the profound simplicity of your Incarnation and plant in us the desire to give of ourselves in response. Amen.

In the Bleak Midwinter (Celebrating Grace #131)

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.


Rev. Stephen Stacks