Category: Christmas Poetry

Where is this castle that we seek
     Where Son of God is born,
A royal Son His Mother keeps
     With father safe from harm?

But castle here there cannot be
     In sleepy village small;
A King is who we came to see,
     Not One in cattle stall.

But there He lies in new-mown hay
     And wrapped in swaddling clothes,
A Baby born who is God’s way,
     With Lily, birthed her rose. 

Around them both are arms so strong
     Of Joseph, cares for them,
And for those three our hearts now long:
     We’re here in Bethlehem. 

He takes upon Him human flesh
     To come to us below,
With Mary, Joseph, form a crèche
     So God Himself we know.

We know in Him is heaven’s love
     And hear the angels sing,
As Shepherds, Wise, by Spirit’s Dove
     Are led within their ring.

A ring of love these three become,
     A likeness of God here.
Through them He bids us all to come,
     Step in and join them there.

Step through their gate is heaven’s will
     For us in image made.
Our sin and death forever killed;
     We step from Eden’s shade.

A shade that light now penetrates
     In stable where He’s born,
As Mary, Joseph, contemplate
     Their Son whom world adorns.

Adorned with crown of thorns one day
     He’ll suffer, die, and rise,
And breathe His Spirit who will stay:
     Forever with us ‘bide.

Abides with us on Christmas Day
     And ever after years,
For in the end He’ll have His way
     With us, so have no fear.  

The Star of Bethlehem reflects her light
On Him, her son, who will in manger lie,
For “yes” she speaks gives light to earth’s dark night,
And all who follow Star by her made wise.

Her Morning Star’s first light will herald dawn
Of Him descends from heaven to our earth
And brings to us the One for whom we’ve longed,
For we know in His Bethlehem new birth.

The wisdom in her light shines on Him clear—
The more we gaze on Him, more truth we see—
And we know she with Him holds all us dear
As we become who we are meant to be.

Come, Mary, Morning Star, begin our day
And shine on Him who is Life, Truth, and Way. 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

He comes to all the earth bring peace
That we within lay down our swords
So inner strife in us will cease;
We’re captive to our Father’s Word.

We follow Star to Bethlehem
Where Father’s Word as Baby comes
To capture all our hearts in Him
So peaceful persons we’ll become.

When peace will come to human hearts
Then peace will all earth’s nations know
As God to all His truth imparts
And once again His fruit will grow.

That fruit is grown on Tree of Life
Which we can eat, for He decides
What’s good and evil and brings light
To hearts where He again resides. 

O God, we long to see the face
     Of Your Son in His crib,
The hope of all the human race
     Born from New Adam’s rib.

For through Your Son You re-create
     All people ever born,
And He is born of Spirit’s mate,
     Who never is forlorn.

For she is born to say her “yes”–
     In freedom from our sin–
To welcome Him as heaven’s guest;
     Our race is born again.

We find our guest is King disguised
     With His humility,
And in a manger He will lie–
     A King who’ll set us free.

He’ll take our sin into His death,
     On third day rise to life,
And You begin with Spirit’s breath
     New dawn with heaven’s light.

So as we to that stable go
     Where we will His face see,
We know that You to us will show
     A sight of who we’ll be. 

Can dawn be born within the night,
     A dawn we long to see?
And yet we journey for the sight
     Of Him who’ll set us free.

With wise we follow Morning Star
     To see where it will lead;
They guide us who have travelled far

For we know what we need is Him
     Who saves from sin and death,
And we are told “In Bethlehem
     You’ll find where your hearts rest.”

Our longing hearts seek His relief;
     He’ll rest our striving souls,
As in Him we place our belief
     That He will make us whole.

With hope in Him we travel on
     And joy in hearts is born,
For sin and death will both be gone
     With birth on Christmas morn. 

We learn on road to Bethlehem
To see in every human face
The longing to be freed from sin,
Be filled with Jesus’ saving grace.

Our fellow pilgrims are diverse—
They come from every walk of life—
And when we with them each converse
We find we all long for God’s light.

The light that draws each of us on
Comes from a star lights each road sign,
And as we walk, our past is gone
As light will cleanse each heart and mind.

We are assured that we’ll arrive
In time to see Begotten Son,
And we will by Him be surprised,
For He for each of us has come. 

Three Wise set out to follow Star
     And leave themselves behind;
They know that they will travel far
     And will their true selves find.

At home their burdens they will leave
     So they will travel light;
On journey find a full reprieve:
     Made free of Adam’s blight.

They have been told enough to know
     That they will find a King
Who comes from heaven down below:
     Salvation to us brings.

He also has His journey made
     To crib in Bethlehem;
Brings light to Eden’s eastern shade
     And brings what should have been.

His Paradise He will restore
     To those who to Him come;
What Adam lost for us before
     Will new again become. 

In manger they find One they seek,
Who led them as in Star He lay;
All earth is His who for us meek
Among us lies on earthly hay.

This day see heaven come to earth
To take earth back to heaven’s home,
And give creation His new birth—
Three wise tell all to Jesus come.

For wisdom will receive Him now
With her the wisest one of all;
Those three before His cradle bow
At altar made from cattle stall.

We’re wise when we to stable go
And plight our troth to Him lies there,
For secrets we all long to know
Reside in manger with us here.