Worship for Christmas
Christ of the Cradle
Christ of the cradle,
Cosmos confined in a cowshed,
Incognito,
Dependent,
Vulnerable,
Come again to your world.
Re-create in us
the song of the angels.
Expose our sinfulness
in the starlight of your love.
And then welcome us
in all our vulnerability
To share the labour
of Kingdom-nurture
and self-giving love.
© Diane Coleman
The angels sing
To be sung to the tune `Repton' (H&P 673(i))
The angels sing, and we with them
Repeat our joyful lays
To Jesus, born in Bethlehem,
Who claims the royal diadem,
So let our voices raise
In fellowship of praise.
The shepherds came in awe and fright,
To worship and to gaze
On Him, born on that still, dark night,
The baby come to be our light.
And now with them we raise
Our fellowship of praise.
And join we with the virgin one.
(So meek yet full of grace),
To sing this life on earth begun'
God come to us in this His Son,
And to Messiah raise
Our never-ending praise.
The eastern sages learned His name,
A star they saw ablaze,
To bring their gifts for miles they came,
By following that celestial flame,
Now with them we upraise
Our joyful hymn of praise.
We tell of Him who loves us most,
Let all repeat the phrase,
Conjoin it with the heavenly host,
To Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
For ever more we raise
Unending hymns of praise.
© Rosalind Parker
Fairy-tale Nativity
We've glamorised his birth,
We've prettified his crib:
A fairy-tale nativity
The annual Christmas fib.
This year we'll face the facts,
And in the Gospels read
Of Jesus born in poverty,
Identified with need.
Our self-destructing world
Cries out for saving grace:
Then see this Judge of all the earth,
Who wears a human face.
Let warring men beware!
Let violence be reviled!
You yet shall know the wrath of God
For every suffering child.
To shame us into love
The Lord of loving came:
Oh, would some spark of Christmas truth
Now set our hearts aflame!
© Arnold Kellett
Dark side of Christmas
The golden Christmas candle cheers
Yet sheds its silent, molten tears;
The holly cordially adorns
Yet bares those stark and hostile thorns;
The royal Babe of Virgin bride
Is crowned with thorns, and crucified...
And Christmas cheer, however bright,
Is set in sombre shades of night;
Behind the front of festive pride
Each Christmas has a darker side...
Our mounds of food cannot conceal
The scandalous Third World beggar's meal;
Our luxuries cannot obscure
The starved and shrivelled, hopeless poor;
Our season's glow of warm goodwill
Is mocked by millions trained to kill...
O Word made flesh, the one true Light,
Shine forth afresh in our dark night!
Teach us your caring, sharing way
Till the wide world dawns to Christmas Day!
© Arnold Kellett, from Kellett's Christmas