“I Will Find A Way” by Andy Gullahorn

One of the best new Christmas songs I’ve heard in recent years.

“Let There Be” by Gungor from Ghosts Upon The Earth

This song feels particularly appropriate for the Advent season, as we contemplate how Jesus’ Incarnation signaled the arrival of the new creation, in which God would once again speak light into darkness.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  -Genesis 1:1-3

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,on them has light shone.” -Isaiah 9:2

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” -Isaiah 60:1-2

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” -John 1:1-5

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” -2 Corinthians 4:6

Mary swells

with the anticipation

of new life springing

up from this thorny soil.

The seed of woman

kicking inside her watery womb

at serpent’s heads

waiting to be crushed.

HT @sjgarver

Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus

Ex Maria virgine, gaudete!

Tempus adest gratiæ
Hoc quod optabamus,
Carmina lætitiæ
Devote reddamus.

Ezechielis porta
Clausa pertransitur,
Unde lux est orta
Salus invenitur.

Ergo nostra contio
Psallat iam in lustro;
Benedicat Domino:
Salus Regi nostro.

 Rejoice, rejoice!
Christ is born
Of the Virgin Mary, Rejoice!

    The time of grace has come
That we have desired;
Let us devoutly return
Joyful verses.

    The closed gate of Ezechiel
Has been passed through;
Whence the light is born,
Salvation is found.

    God has become man,
And nature marvels;
The world has been renewed
By Christ who is King.

    Therefore let our song
Now be sung in brightness
Let it give praise to the Lord:
Greeting to our King.

HT: Leonard Sweet

Sometimes, this is what Advent is about:

Today I am discontent. 

I am discontent with duplicitous politicians pandering promises,
with media absorbing zombie-walking citizens,
with my own less than stalwart heart.
I am sick of hearing of the vaulted lives of wrecked celebrities,
of the disappointments of nearly perfect sports records,
and of my own foolish grasps for fame.
I am sick of sickness and death in the third world,
of images that spoil my lunch,
and of my own lack of doing anything about it.

I am discontent with Babel builders, intoleristas,
Muslim murderers, Christian hypocrites, and secular self-importants.
I stand in the shatters of broken economic systems
broken down bodies,
broken hearts,
and broken promises.
I do not believe in politicians, capitalists, international peace keepers, TV talking heads, salesmen, Oscar nominated films or platinum records.

I think democracy has failed.
I much prefer monarchy–or dictatorship
Provided there is one Leader
one Savior,
one Healer,
one Promise,
one Song,
one King,
Jesus.
May He come and rule
–please, soon
May He come and rule.
Kyrie eleison.

Advent is here again, which for myself is the call to once again attempt to wrap my head around the mystery of the Incarnation. It seems that every year, that is the increasing focus of my spiritual energies during this season, to press deeper into the heart of the Magnum Mysterium. I can’t say my progress has been very great, but allure of the journey is always and ever there.

My deepest struggles with such things are usually best expressed in poetry. The following is some verse that I wrote several years ago already, but I find it rings as true as ever. I put it to music sometime later, so here is the text and then the song:

Flesh of her flesh

Bone of her bone

Yet wholly other

The supernatural

In earthly thread spun

Galaxy strider

Now warmly imprisoned

Within the womb of Eve

He who cast the sun about Him

Royal splendor

Now the prince of paupers

In the beginning was the Word

Into the darkness light tumbles down

Now the Word cries with child’s voice

Now the Light tumbles into darkness

Underneath the stars that He birthed

He Himself is born

The strong, invisible hand

Whose might upholds this earth of rock and stone

Now small, enclosed within His mother’s grasp

Those fingers, which in creation past

Traced out all man’s noble lines

Will one day reach to touch his putrid flesh

Sin-cursed

And set His work aright

Will one day reach out

Sin-cursed

His noble flesh torn

To set His work aright

For unto us a child is come

Unto us a son is descended

From Abraham and heaven both

That heaven and earth may both be joined in one

Through One in whom both heaven and earth are joined

That all may be

From Him, through Him, to Him

Forever and amen

Mystery of the ages

Immanuel

show me the place, where you want your slave to go
show me the place, i’ve forgotten i don’t know
show me the place where my head is bend and low
show me the place, where you want your slave to go

 

show me the place, help me roll away the stone
show me the place, i can’t move this thing alone
show me the place where the word became a man
show me the place where the suffering began

 

the troubles came i saved what i could save
a shred of light, a particle away
but there were chains so i hastened to the hay
there were chains, a lot of chains
like a spade

 

show me the place, where you want your slave to go
show me the place, i’ve forgotten i don’t know
show me the place, where you want your slave to go

 

the troubles came i saved what i could save
a shred of light, a particle away
but there were chains so i hastened to the hay
there were chains so i loved you like a slave

 

show me the place
show me the place
show me the place

 

show me the place, help me roll away the stone
show me the place, i can’t move this thing alone
show me the place where the word became a man
show me the place where the suffering began