Well, Christmas Eve was almost a week ago, yet the service at Hill-n-Dale was really wonderful. A huge thanks goes to all who organized, or who pitched in, and especially to all who led us in worship, Scripture and song.
I had the opportunity to share for a few minutes there, and in lieu of a sermon or sermonette I shared a poem that I had written earlier, which I suppose I haven’t really titled yet. But at least one person asked me for a copy, and so I thought I’d post it here. If you can share it or use it any way, please do so with my full permission.
Here goes (oh, by the way, it’s kind of long)…
1.
The snow fell softly on the hills,
and not a word was spoken:
We shepherds slowly herding sheep,
the silence left unbroken…
Until a noise disturbed our peace
and pierced the darkness through—
Loud bleating heard there in our flock—
a snow-white pregnant ewe.
She laid there on the freezing ground—
a quaint sight to behold,
And soon we stopped to welcome
a new lamb into our fold.
I picked him up, so tiny—
and there in my arms he curled—
How strange to have left a warm, safe place…
to wake up in our world.
2.
This lamb was spotless, perfect, pure—
no blemish to be found—
His mother seemed to know this
as she shivered on the ground.
For a snow-white lamb like this one
would sell at no small price
And go up to Jerusalem
to become…a sacrifice.
How sad to think that on this pure,
unblemished little one
Would fall the sins and wrongs that some
flawed man like me had done.
I held him tight to keep him warm
and tried to sympathize,
But he ended up warming me as he nestled close
and closed his eyes.
3.
And then from out of nowhere
came an awesome, brilliant light
And the voice of some mighty warrior
broke into our silent night.
When our eyes finally adjusted,
it became completely clear
That an angel—from God’s presence—
had left heaven and come here.
And we trembled to imagine
what harsh judgment would be made,
But then heard his bold voice gently
saying, “Do not be afraid.
I bring you news that’s very good,
glad tidings of great joy.
In your little town of Bethlehem
lies a newborn baby boy.”
4.
The angel claimed this baby
was sent to us by God’s design
And he told us to go see Him,
and then gave a cryptic sign:
This special child had come to us
as a poor, unprivileged stranger
And would be the only baby
in a feeding trough–a manger.
No sooner had he told us this
odd news that seemed…so wrong
When an army of heavenly angels appeared
and erupted into song
And told us of God’s glory,
and of heavenly peace…on earth
That would come to all who know this child
and celebrate His birth.
5.
And when they left…our eyes saw spots
and heads continued ringing
As we asked what baby this could be,
who had God’s armies…singing!
Then we looked at one another…
as we simultaneously wondered:
Could Messiah be the one of which
this angel choir had thundered?
The long awaited son of David—
the Shepherd—could it be?
Born in his town, old Bethlehem?
We had to go and see.
And as we ran I realized
that the lamb I held—so small—
Had not even stirred at the angels’ song,
but slept soundly through it all.
6.
And so on this snowy, wintry night
that felt as cold as death
We scurried around our little town
till we were out of breath.
But none had heard of a newborn child
or a mighty angel song
And clearly they thought that something
with some shepherds had gone wrong
Until a kind man beckoned us
and gave us a place to begin—
He pointed to a stable
just a stone’s throw past his inn
He said an expectant couple came
and needed a place to stay
But the only beds he had for them
were ones there in the hay.
7.
And so we sauntered down the path,
not sure what we would find,
With a thousand unasked questions
left burning in our mind:
Like, why did the angels find us
when they could have asked anyone–
Some royal prince, or head of state,
to greet this ‘royal son’?
And why was this child out in the cold
on a night so fraught with danger?
And couldn’t God find a better cradle
than an ox and donkey’s manger?
And wouldn’t Messiah restore Israel’s glory
and fulfill all of God’s decrees?
So why a stable for this one who’d bring
Caesar’s armies to their knees?
8.
We reached the barn and saw the scene
as we shivered in the cold—
There in a lowly stable
was what angels had foretold:
A tired peasant huddled close
to a young girl, softly weeping.
Both gazed in awe into a feedbox
at a newborn baby sleeping.
And we yearned to sing, or shout, or tell
why we had come this way,
But there in the stillness of the night
there was nothing we would say.
So I held my lamb and prayed to God
that He’d use this…little boy
To fulfill the angel’s promises
of good news…and of great joy!
9.
Just then the newborn lamb I held
awoke and—to my shock—
Sprang from my arms onto the ground
and tried his best to walk.
And he wobbled toward the stable
as I froze there where I was,
And I watched him do the kind of thing
an animal instinctively does:
He walked straight to the feedbox,
and then stopped, and looked around,
And, finding a mother and fellow newborn,
he plopped down on the ground.
And the parents seemed unbothered
as they huddled, so serene,
That a pure unblemished lamb had come
into their manger scene.
10.
The lamb seemed to find comfort there,
though I couldn’t figure why
What newborn child could comprehend
that this lamb had been born to die
To take away the guilt of sin,
to pay another’s price,
To be offered in Jerusalem
as a perfect sacrifice.
And while I thought, “How sad this is,”
I couldn’t help but see
That the baby’s eyes–now opened—
were looking straight…at me!
And had I stopped and thought it through,
I might not have taken this chance,
But I slowly walked to-ward Him
as if I were in a trance.
11.
And I stood next to the manger
in my ragged, tired condition
And I asked to touch the baby,
and was given their permission.
So I stroked the matte of coarse black hair
and thought that it seemed odd
That a man like me could touch a baby
who’d just been sent from God.
Adoring him, I stopped and stared
and much to my surprise
Standing frozen I began to see
the future in His eyes:
Scenes I saw unfolding there
were more than real to me,
Short glimpses of this baby’s life
and of what would come to be.
12.
I saw wise men from eastern lands
as they moved across the earth,
Following the light of a special star
that told of a great king’s birth.
They worshiped him and verified
all that had been foretold,
Then gave him gifts fit for a king:
incense, and myrrh, and gold.
And as they left, this family
was forced into swift flight
As darkness tried its best to stop
being overcome by Light.
And as I watched the boy grow up,
God’s perfect plan unfurled:
This little baby in the manger
had come to light our world!
13.
Next I saw the boy grown up,
by the sea of Galilee
Calling simple fishermen
by saying, “Follow me.”
And as he taught he encountered hate
and resistance and anger and strife,
But His teachings showed that He was God’s…
only way…and truth…and life.
And miracles that He performed
showed power from beyond,
And newly healed men saw that into
the darkness God’s light had dawned.
And just when I thought that this king was about
to cut Rome down to size,
I gasped to see the scene of a hill
in Jerusalem…there in His eyes!
14.
There Romans grabbed and beat Him
and nailed Him to a cross—
This one who was heaven’s gift to us
now seemed like heaven’s loss.
And as He hung there in the dark
in excruciating pain
His eyes met mine, and I saw who He was…
the unblemished, being slain.
And His eyes pierced through as He saw me—
in my sin—for who I am
And He said, “Father…please forgive…”
and became God’s perfect Lamb.
For a snow white Lamb was this one…
sent for me at no small price
And He’d go up to Jerusalem
to become…my sacrifice.
15.
So as I touched this baby there
and saw in His eyes His fate
I wept for my sins that sent Him there—
my pride, my lust, my hate.
But I saw then three days later,
emerging from a tomb,
This triumphant king from Bethlehem
for whom there’d been no room.
And I saw Messiah reign on high
over all of heaven and earth—
Sin vanquished, darkness overcome,
by this one from such humble birth.
And as I moved my hand away
from the head of this beautiful child
I’m convinced that God-With-Us–Emmanuel—
looked up at me…and smiled.
16.
Back to the hills we shepherds went,
having witnessed God’s heavenly glory.
And we told this good news to anyone
who would listen to our story:
A story of peace on this earth of ours,
and of God’s light sent to shine,
And a Lamb that came to atone for sinful
lives like yours and mine.
To all who will receive Him,
in this world of sin and strife,
He holds in the here-and-now the hope
of heaven—eternal life.
So this Christmas look not at the manger
like it were in some museum:
The light is here, God calls you now
to leave who you were and see Him.
Beautiful. I could hear your voice reading it.