January 6 - What Child is This?

What child is this who we sing about at Christmas and Epiphany? What child is this who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a poor virgin named Mary? What child is this who was ignored by Emperors and Governors? What child is this who was lauded by angels and laid in a feeding trough? What child is this who was seen only by shepherds and worshipped only by strange foreigners? What child is this who was dismissed by the religious leaders and hunted by King Herod? What child is this who was God with us and came to save us? What child is this?

This is the incredibly beautiful question that an insurance salesman named William Dix wrote about the birth of Christ in 1865 after recovering from a severe illness. Dix moonlighted as a poet and while recovering this deathly sickness he underwent a profound spiritual renewal, which led him to write several hymns including the lyrics to this now famous Christmas carol. Part of Dix's genius was setting his lyrics to the traditional English folksong Greensleeves. This popular love song had a rich and complex history in England in that day. Many believed that the song was written by a man who was sadly in love with a prostitute called "greensleeves" because her dress was green from cavorting with other men in the grass. It was not considered to be a "holy" song. In fact in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor William Shakespeare mentions the song twice and has one of his characters say, "I would have sworn his disposition would have gone to the truth of his words; but they do not more adhere and keep place together than the 100th Psalm to the tune of 'Green Sleeves.' Very few in Dix's time would have considered pairing their sacred Christmas lyrics with this promiscuous secular tune. 

Yet there is something wonderfully fitting about Dix's choice. This child who Dix was writing about was laid to rest on Mary's lap--a woman who the world scorned because she was an unwed pregnant teenager. This child who Dix was writing about would one day be accused of spending all his time with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners. This child who Dix was writing about would one day stand in between an angry mob and a woman caught in adultery saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." This child who Dix was writing about would one day be arrested, tried, and convicted as a criminal, tortured, and executed on a cross between two thieves. The mystery of the incarnation is that the divine has taken up residence in humanity in order to make it holy. The sacred God has entered into our profane world in order to redeem it. The pairing, the mixture, and the intertwining of things like What Child is This? and Greensleeves is exactly the kind of thing that saves us. As the great Church Father Gregory of Nazianzus once said, "What God has not assumed God has not healed."

As we transition out of the season of Christmas, through Epiphany and toward the seasons of Lent and Easter the words that we most need from this hymn are not in the famous first verse but in the second. 

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be born for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary. 

We must never forget that if Christ remained a child in a manger then there would be no cross and no salvation. May we always remember the sacrifice that was required to save us from the tyranny of our own individualism and the unjust kingdoms of our own making. It cost Christ his life and if we mean to follow him it will cost us ours as well. 

Prayer: King of kings who brings salvation let our hearts be so filled with love for you and for your world that they might become thrones where you rest--and you alone. Give us the courage and the strength to repent from our sins and to carry the cross that you have laid before us all. Amen.


What Child is This?

What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Rev. Benjamin Boswell

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

January 4 - Angels from the Realms of Glory

Hymnologists Harry Eskew and Hugh McElrath compliment James Montgomery, the author of "Angels from the Realms of Glory," by arguing that his hymns capture "the enthusiasm of the Wesleys [Charles and John] and the churchliness of [Isaac] Watts." One can see this combination of intellectual reflection and emotive response at work in this hymn. The text relates the birth narrative, combining scenes from Luke's and Matthew's gospels, but also commands a response from the Christian singing it. Come and worship Christ, the newborn King!

This hymn models good interpretive practice of Scripture for us. We are not called simply to hear/read and understand the gospel, or even to accept it as "true" (whatever we mean by that), but to be transformed by the story through the community of the Church and to enact with all the saints the hope, justice, and mercy of God's kingdom now residing with us on earth.

While working for a newspaper in Ireland, James Montgomery was arrested twice for speaking out forcefully on behalf of the oppressed around him. One of his arrests came after he criticized a local magistrate for forcibly dispersing a political protest. He was an abolitionist and an advocate for child workers who were being exploited. Montgomery did not view the gospel as historical information but as moral imperative that compelled him to passionately pursue the way of Jesus.

We no longer sing Verse 5 of Montgomery's hymn, most likely because we are uncomfortable with the topic of sin. To be fair, I believe this discomfort stems from widespread misunderstanding of what sin is. Here in America we have often appropriated the biblical concept of sin and used it to prop up our cultural mores. We have used the Bible as a weapon to reinforce what makes us comfortable, rather than spending our energy trying to discover what the Spirit of Christ has to tell us about sin and mercy. At its core, Incarnation is about God's willingness to go to any length to defeat the power of sin in our lives and to free us for joyful obedience. Perhaps Christmas is a time to rediscover what Jesus came into the world to change. Perhaps if we pay attention this year we can reorient ourselves towards the love ethic of Jesus, and allow it to transform not just the way we view Scripture, but also the way we live our lives. It does no good to hear the song of the angels, to see the light of Jesus' star, without allowing the truth of God's loving purpose to compel us in our daily living. We have to come and worship the newborn King, and then go out to proclaim the gospel that while we were yet sinners, Christ came and died for us, proving God's everlasting love for humanity, and that this same God calls us to follow him in his mission to turn the world upside down. That's good news worth singing about!

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

Closing Prayer
Incarnate God, who came that we might understand the kind of abundant life you desire for us, free us from our cultural captivity this Christmas. Give us a new glimpse of the radical love with which you call us to live. Help us be good news. Amen.


Angels from the Realms of Glory (Celebrating Grace #126)

Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In his temple shall appear.
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you—break your chains:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to him;
Every knee shall then bow down:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising,
To th'eternal Three in One:
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Rev. Stephen Stacks

January 3 - The First Noel

No one really knows where the French word "noel" really came from. Some think it originated from the Old French word nael which means "birth." Others thing that it originated from the Old French word nouvelles which means "news." Either way the word "noel" has become synonymous with the good news about the birth of the Messiah that we sing about at Christmas. The best way for us to translate the word "noel" today is probably "good news" which is what the word "gospel" means and it refers back to the words the angel said to the shepherds "Behold, I bring you good news of great joy, for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord."  

If we think about replacing the word "noel" in popular Christmas hymns with the phrase "good news" it may bring about deeper comprehension of the meaning of these hymns and the meaning of Christmas. For instance, "the first good news the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay...good news, good news, good news, good news, born is the King of Israel." Interestingly though, the hymn The First Noel is predominantly about the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem to pay homage to the Christ child and the phrase "good news" doesn't appear anywhere in Matthew's retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus. 

Just as the term "good news" is absent in the Matthew's story of the birth of Jesus it often feels as if "good news" is absent from our world today as well. The 24 hour cable news cycle in America is constantly feeding us nothing but bad news and 2014 has been a year filled with lots of bad news to report. It would be easy to become fatalistic and cynical in a world that seems to care about nothing other than bad news. And yet just as in story of the birth of Christ in the gospel of Matthew, there is good news in our world today even though it's not always mentioned by name. Because of Christ, and those who follow him, there is always hope for a future free from hatred, division, hostility, racism, torture, violence, and war. There are instances of peace all around us when people seek unity in spite of their differences. There is joy to be discovered in the work of seeking the kingdom together, and we can see love anytime we find who someone cares more about others than they do about themselves. Don't let the bad news fool you into cynicism and despair! Christmas is a reminder to us every year that God is not done with the world yet. Christ keeps coming into the world over and over again in order to save it from itself and invites us to participate in the good work of spreading that good news with everyone. 

What would it mean for us to live our lives in such a way that we will be good news to the world this year? How can we be good news to our spouses, good news to our parents, good news to our children, good news to our families, good news to our friends, good news to our churches, good news to our community, good news to the poor and vulnerable of the world?

Prayer: Lord, fill me with the presence of your Spirit, form me into your likeness, and make me a beacon of hope, peace, joy, and love that I might become good news for the sake of the world. Amen

The First Noel

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tending their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Refrain:

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They lookèd up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.

This star drew nigh to the northwest,
Over Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then did they know assuredly
Within that house the King did lie;
One entered it them for to see,
And found the Babe in poverty.

Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon the knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

Between an ox stall and an ass,
This Child truly there he was;
For want of clothing they did him lay
All in a manger, among the hay.

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood humankind hath bought.

Rev. Benjamin Boswell

January 2 - Of the Father's Love Begotten

Aurelius Clemens Prudentius wrote Corde natus ex parentis in the 4th century, which was translated in the 19th century by John Mason Neale to become our hymn, "Of the Father's Love Begotten." This makes it the oldest hymn we are looking at in this devotional series. Most churches sing the text to the tune, Divinum Mysterium, which is an adapted chant tune from the 11th century. Singing a hymn like this in 2014 reminds us that we are connected to a tradition much longer than ourselves and that our forebears in the faith have wonderful gifts to offer us if we are wise enough to pay attention to them.

"Of the Father's Love Begotten" is one of the great poetic expressions of the doctrine of the Trinity. Prudentius praises Christ as the second person of the Trinity, declaring him Alpha and Omega, begotten not made before the universe was created. This text really captures the cosmic implications of Christ's coming and emphasizes what we have learned about God's loving purposes for the universe through the Incarnation.

If you place this hymn in conversation with some of the others we have been thinking about, you will begin to understand the depth of the mystery of the Incarnate God. The source of all things, the Alpha, submitted to the poverty of the manger and the suffering of human life. The Omega, the ending of all things, submitted to a violent and painful death at the hands of his own creation. The God who spoke the universe into existence chose to save it in the most humble, unpretentious way.

I wonder if we can take the phrase, "He is Alpha and Omega, he the source, the ending he" one step further this Christmas. Although it is a wild claim, Christians do assert that Jesus was the Alpha and Omega of the world. But do enough of us live as if Jesus is our Alpha and Omega? It is very easy when one accumulates wealth, power, and privilege in this world, to forget who one's source and ending is. The psalmist says, "O Lord, you have searched me and known me...You hem me in, behind and before...It was you who formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb." Do we believe that God is our source? That God creates and sustains us? That when we die, we will pass into God's all-consuming love and account for the way we lived our lives?

If we did, more of us might be willing to relinquish our power, our privilege, and our wealth for the kingdom of God that Jesus preached while he was on the earth. We might be more passionate about the things that God cares about, and less consumed by the things that our culture claims are sources of life and health. If we did, we might be able to say more boldly with Prudentius and the Church that "powers, dominions bow before" Christ, and that our allegiance is not to the power of money or the dominion of America, but to God, our King. Who is our Alpha and Omega? It's worth pondering this Christmas.

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

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, Alpha and Omega, bend our will to yours this Christmas. Recapture our hearts and our imaginations through the wonder of your birth that we might dream dreams of your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Remind us of our source. Amen.

Of the Father's Love Begotten (CG #113)

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, he the source, the ending he,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!

At his Word the worlds were framèd; he commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean in their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining
Of the moon and burning sun, evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion, death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
In the dreadful gulf below, evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd, when the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Savior of our race;
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed his sacred face, evermore and evermore!

This is he whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word;
Now he shines, the long expected,
Let creation praise its Lord, evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore him; angel hosts, his praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before him, and extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert sing, evermore and evermore!

Righteous judge of souls departed, righteous King of them that live,
On the Father’s throne exalted none in might with thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming
Sinners from thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men, thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens, with glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
And the heart its music bring, evermore and evermore!

Christ, to thee with God the Father, and, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving, and unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory, evermore and evermore!

Rev. Stephen Stacks

January 1 - O Little Town of Bethlehem

It is quite odd for the subject of a Christian hymn to be a small town as opposed to God or Christ or the Holy Spirit, but such is the case with the famous hymn that was written by Episcopal minister Phillip Brooks in 1868. Rev. Brooks had just returned from a trip to the Holy Land where he visited the ancient town of Bethlehem and was inspired to write the lyrics to the hymn that many have come to love. Legend has it that after Rev. Brooks wrote the lyrics he turned it over to the church's music director Lewis Radner who added the slow, irregular melody just in time for the church's annual Sunday School Christmas pageant. The melody that Radner created for the hymn rises ever so slightly mid-stanza and then slips back in to a quieter mood by the end of each verse, which forces us to feel the weight of the words and the depth of their meaning as we sing.

One of my favorite things about the history of this hymn is that it was a collaborative effort between a Pastor and Music Director--just like this Christmas devotional! Stephen and I have collaborated on a few hymns together and there is truly something magical about the process of co-creating a piece of spiritual art with a friend and colleague. The process of co-creating a hymn is a wonderful analogy for the way that God entered into the world in Bethlehem and continues to enter the world today. As Brooks wrote in verse 2 of O Little Town of Bethlehem "Christ is born of Mary", which means that God and Mary worked together in the act of co-creating the Messiah and bringing salvation into the world. As it says in the Apostle's Creed, Jesus was "conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary." This means that Mary most certainly had a unique and special role in co-creating Jesus with God, but the Spirit also continues to invite us all to be partners with God in the incredible process of co-creating the kingdom. 

Rev. Brook's hymn about that little town reminds us that in order to partner with God in the process of giving birth to the kingdom we must first make room in our hearts for Christ to be born in us. Throughout history many Christians have called this process being "born again" or "getting saved." In fact, in recent years the litmus test for the faith of political candidates in America was whether or not they were "born again." But too often Christians have assumed that being "born again" was an event that happened only once and that afterward there was no need to be "born again." Some have called this the "once saved always saved" approach to Christianity. The reality is, however, that salvation is not something we can lock in with a prayer but something we need to work out (as Paul tells us) with fear and trembling. Just from experience most of us know that we really need to be "born again" each and every day, and sometimes each and every hour!

This is one of the reasons why we spend so much time preparing for the coming of Christ during the season of Advent--so that we can be ready to receive Jesus into our hearts and be born anew each and every Christmas. The only reason we would not want to be born again is if we think that we are perfect just the way we are, but if we think that then we will be hard pressed to hear the message of salvation at Christmas. As Rev. Brooks put it so eloquently, "no ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in."

Today is the 8th day of Christmas and as we stand on the eve of another year on the world's calendar let us all make a resolution to find more ways to co-create with God in the coming months. But first, let us open our ears and humble ourselves to that we will be meek enough to receive the Savior Jesus Christ as he seeks to find room inside our hearts this Christmas. There was no room in Bethlehem on the first Christmas, but the question remains...will our hearts be as inhospitable as that tiny town or will we make room for Christ to be born in us and through us this year?

Let the fourth verse be our most fervent Christmas prayer: "O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray, cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today." Amen. 

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Celebrating Grace #107)

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Rev. Benjamin Boswell

December 31 - Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

I have always thought there was more to the recurring phrase, "When half-spent was the night," than I knew. Is it just a fancy way to say midnight? Or is there more to it? When I stumbled across this excerpt from the Book of Wisdom (also called the Wisdom of Solomon, an extra-canonical book that some of the Christian world has in their Bible), I was struck by the connections to this hymn:

"When peaceful silence lay over all, and when night had run half way her swift course, down from the heavens, from the royal throne, leapt your all-powerful Word (Wisdom 18:14-15)."

I don't know if the hymn-writer or translator had this passage in mind when penning this text, but the sentiment is strikingly similar. When the world lay in silence, when night was half spent, the Word of God came. When things could not get any darker, the light came to split the darkness. John 1 also makes this point beautifully: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...And the Word became flesh and lived among us." John goes on to say that the law came through Moses and grace came through Jesus, the new Moses. Jesus, who was close to the Father's heart, has made God known, or as the hymn says: "To show God's love aright when half-spent was the night."

As Richard Rohr notes, "silence is the heart of prayer." The first century world was full of the hustle and bustle of the Empire, the busyness of Caesar's census, and all but the shepherds, who were keeping watch over their flocks (silently), and the magi, who were studying the sky in silence and contemplation, missed God's appearance. Is all our chatter, our constant need to divert ourselves, our uneasiness without background noise, a testament to our fear of what we might discover if we practiced silence? Christmastide is the perfect time to regain through silence what we lose through excessive noise and distraction. God's Word entered the world quietly the first time, and if we want to hear it when it comes this Christmas, we must learn to silence our own wills and receive God's will for our lives.

The last line of the third verse reminds us that Jesus "lightens every load," a reference to Matthew 11:28-30 where Jesus says, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Christ reminds us that our God is the God of Sabbath, not the God of endless work and consumption. Christ came to free us from our burdens and our sin, from the never-ending work of trying to generate meaning for our lives. If Christ came to give us rest, what does it say about our culture if Christmas, the season when we are meant to celebrate Christ's coming is the busiest and least restful of the entire year? Now that the secular season of Christmas is over, find a way to embrace God's Sabbath during the sacred season of Christmas. Find a way to be present to yourself and to God by quieting the incessant chatter of your own mind, and allowing the presence of God in Christ to lighten your load. Stop and smell the Rose!

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

Closing Prayer
God with us, the Rose sprung from the root of Jesse, who entered the deep darkness of our world to shine a light bright enough to lighten the world: come into our darkness again this Christmas. Shine the light of your truth, and help us find rest in you. Amen.

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (Celebrating Grace #105)

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming
As saints of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright
She bore to us a Savior
When half-spent was the night.

This flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death he saves us
And lightens every load

Rev. Stephen Stacks