Christ Comes

The fast of Advent is nearly over as we come to celebrate the feast of Christmas, in our land this is the time of  winter gloom when the sun does not get very high above the horizon and brings little warmth or light; then comes the explosion of angels in dazzling light who herald in Christmas morning.

Here are some of my favorite Advent poems which speak of the wonder and mystery of Christmas that can so easily be lost  in our over commercialised world. 

He is here!

Christ comes, not in sleigh bells or quaint Christmas choirs, nor the tinkle of cash tills.

Christ comes with contracting uterine muscles and a spurt of water and blood.

Christ comes with increasing labour pains,

Christ comes to a young woman in a mixture of ecstasy, pain and joy.

Christ comes in the entire muddle and ordinariness of our everyday lives.

Christ comes unexpected into His created world,

Christ is here to be found and worshipped.

Come with the sheep farmers

Come with the star gazers.

Come with the single mothers and confused fathers,

Come He is here now.        Come

This is the time of the almost unnoticed birth, the creator God slips almost un-announced into His created world to save and redeem it. The miracle of all miracles announced only to the poorest of the poor. Loves furnace hidden in a little room, is one of my favorite Advent poems. 

Loves furnace in a little room.

Forget not Trinity holy and glorious

That heaven’s bright prince came down to bestow on us

His love, as babe, into Mary’s fair womb

For nine months, he who is angels lord

Was hidden, love’s furnace, in a little room

Humbler than all, who all adored.

A pure lamb, he stole down to earth

To free us from our sin so blind .

No city home will shield his birth

His mother a stable for bed must find;

There poorest of the poor she lay

Nor wine nor meat for hungers sting

In the rude confines of the cattle bay

Where God was born apostle’s king.

Cold and exile He did not scorn

In the donkey’s manger that holy morn.

Tadg Gaelach O Suilleabhain.

Another favorite comes from the Celtic prayer book  as we pass the shortest day and the two longest nights, Christmas is almost upon us 

This night is the long night

When those who listen await His cry

This night is the eve of the great nativity

When those who are longing await His appearing

Wait with watchful heart.

Listen carefully through the stillness;

Listen; hear the telling of the waves upon the shore.

Listen hear the song of angels glorious-

Ere long it will be heard

That His foot has reached the earth;

News- that the glory has come!

Truly his salvation is near

For those who fear Him,

And His glory shall dwell in our land.

Watch and pray that the Lord shall come.

Those who are longing await His appearing.

Those who listen await His cry.

Watch….

Wait …..

Listen….

This night is the long night.

So as the first chapter of John's gospel reminds us the king comes into His world largely unseen and rejected.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,[b] and his own people[c] did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Malcolm Guite's lovely Advent poem reminds us of the crazy irony of this:

O Rex Gentium

O King of our desire whom we despise,

King of the nations never on the throne,

Unfound foundation, cast-off cornerstone,

Rejected joiner, making many one,

You have no form or beauty for our eyes,

A King who comes to give away his crown,

A King within our rags of flesh and bone.

We pierce the flesh that pierces our disguise,

For we ourselves are found in you alone.

Come to us now and find in us your throne,

O King within the child within the clay,

O hidden King who shapes us in the play

Of all creation. Shape us for the day

Your coming Kingdom comes into its own.

So as we approach Christmas let us come to the stable with the shepherds and kneel before  Christ our Saviour and King.