Another favorite Christmas poem-turned-carol of mine is "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Christina Rossetti. Her poetry captures the seeming incongruity of the God who cannot be contained - the God who reigns supreme on the throne - and the helpless, wriggling, (and hungry!) human babe. Using imagery from Revelation, she recognizes the important connection drawn… Continue reading Day 15: Dwelling

I know a little about what it's like to give birth in a time of upheaval, and in an unfamiliar place. Our third child was born in Ireland just a few short months after we had moved there to be missionaries. I remember often humming Silent Night, first curled around his brand new, scrunched up… Continue reading Day 14: Redeeming Grace

Mary sings a beautiful song of praise in Luke chapter one upon seeing her cousin, Elizabeth, and in response to her visit from the angel Gabriel and her conception of Jesus. I think it is quite clear that Mary understood the magnitude of her pregnancy. I'm always amazed by her words in Luke 1:46-55. Her… Continue reading Day 13: Blessed

From the account in Matthew, we know that a great star, visible from a faraway eastern land, rose and beckoned to those who would see its importance. Like a beacon, it led the wise men from the east to the precise house where young Jesus lived. A star that gives directions - can this be… Continue reading Day 12: Star

Friends, my prayer is that despite life's trials, the good news of the gospel cheers your heart during this Advent season. We have a beautiful example from the shepherds of the Christmas story. Surely, once they recovered from the shock of an angelic encounter, they must have been leaping around and heartily embracing each other… Continue reading Day 11: Shepherds

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story is the angels who heralded Christ's birth. They did not make their announcement to those who had influence or power, but to a band of lowly shepherds on the night shift. First a single angel appeared, terrifying those men. Imagine the intense joy in that angel's… Continue reading Day 10: Herald

Christmas is a wonderful mix of holy and humble. The long-awaited Messiah was conceived in the womb of a young unwed mother. The angels appeared in bright and fearsome array to simple shepherds. The wise men brought precious gifts to the Christ child, whose first bed was a livestock trough. God chose to reveal his… Continue reading Day 9: Humility

A favorite poem-turned-carol of mine is "Once in Royal David's City" by Cecil Frances Alexander. It is the kind of song that delights a child, yet it hits a rich theological note. Like all the best Christmas hymns, it tells of the Lord of all, who deigned to become the most vulnerable of creatures -… Continue reading Day 8: Lowly

Today we acknowledge the worship due to the great and mighty Holy One, the Lord of hosts. We know from Scripture that our God is a living God. Perhaps this was made most evident to us in the incarnation: he was seen, heard, and felt. He broke bread, taught, and healed. And it is this… Continue reading Day 7: Power

Scripture speaks of a divine glory revealed to Moses, a communion between him and the holy God that no other could share or tolerate. The people required even the face of Moses to be veiled in their midst after he had been with the Lord. When God descended to Mt. Sinai above their camp, they… Continue reading Day 6: Veiled