Reading: Romans 12:1 (NRSV)
Song: In the Bleak Midwinter (lyrics for reflection below)
We are offering both versions of the carol, since both are equally beloved.
MUSIC BY HOLST VERSION:
MUSIC BY DARKE VERSION:
Reflection
I remember the first time I heard the carol “In the Bleak Midwinter.” I was a first-year seminary student, and Sharon and I were attending the annual Lessons and Carols service at the seminary chapel. Before the service began I glanced through the order of songs and readings, and when my eyes caught the title “In the Bleak Midwinter,” I’m embarrassed to say that my “newly-minted seminarian” pride started to kick in:
“Jesus wasn’t born in the winter! Anyone worth their theological salt knows that the shepherds would NOT have been abiding in the fields with their sheep during the winter months. Jesus was most likely born in the spring!”
When the carol began, my haughty assumptions ratcheted up a gear with phrases like “frosty wind” and “snow on snow,” and I was close to being convinced that singing this carol was a waste of time and breath.
Then I heard (and read) the second, third, and fourth verses…and my pride withered away in the beauty of the words and the thoughts they expressed.
Now “In the Bleak Midwinter” is my favorite carol. The images it contains bring me to my knees every time I hear them:
the stable that holds the God of the universe
the simple worship of the beloved child’s mother
the invitation to place ourselves alongside the shepherds and Wise Men as we consider our own gifts for the Savior
So with such beautiful words and images to sit and pray with, this carol seemed a good choice for our second Wordless Wednesday, when we offer an instrumental version of a carol with an invitation to read the words prayerfully in a style similar to “lectio divina.” Here is a suggested approach for these Wednesday reflections:
Close your eyes and listen to the instrumental once on its own. Breathe deep and open yourself to the idea of “waiting quietly” for God.
Read through the lyrics slowly and prayerfully, more than once. Look for words and phrases that catch your attention and stir your soul.
Listen to the instrumental again while praying with the word or phrase that has caught your attention. What about it has grabbed you? What does the resonance you feel with it reveal about the longings of your heart and soul? Offer these reflections to God in still, quiet surrender.
May God use these times in blessed escape from from the cacophony that often surrounds us this time of year.
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.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped 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.