“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice…” --
Psalm 96:11
Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr observed, “Only poets can do justice to the Christmas and Easter stories…”
Pastors and congregants know this to be true. No matter how hard a pastor labors on their Christmas Eve sermon,
they cannot match the poetry in our Christmas carols. In fact, someone remarked that Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth
is rather boring (See Luke 2:1-20). I could write sermons and we could read Scripture with the imagination of
Edmund Sears, “Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled, and still their heavenly
music floats o’er all the weary world.” Or the ingenuity of James Montgomery, “Sages, leave your contemplations,
brighter visions beam afar; seek the great Desire of nations; ye have seen his natal star…” Or the inspiration of
Joseph Mohr, “Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light; radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn
of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth, Jesus, Lord at thy birth.” We are spellbound by the poetry of Christmas.
Luke’s gospel is filled with the poetry of Mary, Zachariah, and the Angels (see Luke 1-2). These lines of poetry have
since been placed to music and have told the Christmas story faithfully for over two millennia. Allow the poets
to guide you to the manger. Let the music seep into your soul. Grant the Holy Spirit permission, sense the wonder,
depth, and newness of Christmas. The Scripture reading from Psalm 96 is lyrical. The poem commands us
to “sing” three times, “O Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his
name; tell of his salvation from day to day” (vv.1-2). Isaac Watts’ hymn is based on Psalm 98:4-9. However, Psalm
96, anticipates Watt’s poetry. “Let every heart prepare him room and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature
sing, and heav’n and nature sing!” And so on Christmas Eve, “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let
the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it” (v.11).
The Rabbinic tradition says, “The whole of creation was called into existence by God unto [God’s] glory,
and each creature has its own hymn of praise wherewith to extol the Creator.” In the white space between the black
print of the Torah is found the poetry. In that space the poets describe all of creation joining the mighty chorus,
“Gloria in excelsis Deo!” Every part of creation is gifted uniquely and beautifully with its own voice to honor God.
The waters proclaim of God’s might. The heavens- sun and moon, orchestrate their daily rhythm of “Alleluias!” The
clouds and winds offer their worship. The mountain and prairies, meadows and woodlands, deserts and glaciers join
in the song. Through the eyes of poetry, the birds above sing of God’s praise, as do the fish in the depths of the sea.
The lion roars, the fox cries out, the frog croaks, the reptile hisses, the mouse seeks, the dog barks, and the cat meows in
perfect unison, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps 150:6).
Wherever you find yourself, on the road traveling, in the fields working, under the covers unable to sleep, or
besides the manger let the poetry move your heart toward praise. I am not poetic, writing and reading poetry are a
stretch for me. However, what happens at Christmas and Easter is worth the effort of flexing the small poetic muscles
we might have. We are not called to be Edmund Sears, James Montgomery, or even Joseph Mohr. However, we are
called to experience the presence of Christ in our lives and to “sing, tell, bless, declare” (96:3) of God’s love and
goodness.
Blessings,
Pastor Nick
