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Creativity

Hal Habecker

Dec 21

“Christmas and Creativity” (Joseph Bayly) The 25th Day of Advent

December 21, 2022

I want to encourage you to take time to reflect creatively about Christmas – to write, to think, to sing, to draw something, to make or create something, to do something creative. Joe Bayly was someone like that. He was a creative writer and thinker, and I want to share two of his Christmas poems with you today. He was one of those people in my early ministry years who encouraged me to celebrate Advent.

Joseph Bayly (1920-1986) was a friend and mentor to me. I had the privilege of working under his leadership for nearly 3 years (1980-1982) in the Christian Medical Society. He wrote two poems about Christmas that I have always loved, and I share them with you here. The first is a psalm for Christmas Eve, and the second is a psalm for Christmas Day. I hope they will encourage you.

“A Psalm for Christmas Eve”

Praise God for Christmas

Praise Him for the Incarnation

For Word made flesh.

I will not sing

of shepherds watching flocks

on frosty night

or angel choristers.

I will not sing

of stable bare in Bethlehem

or lowing oxen

wise men

trailing distant star

with gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Tonight I will sing

praise to the Father

who stood on heaven’s threshold

and said farewell to His Son

as he stepped across stars

to Bethlehem

and Jerusalem.

And I will sing

praise to the infinite eternal Son

who became most finite

a Baby

who would one day be executed

for my crimes.

Praise Him in the heavens.

Praise Him in the stable.

Praise Him in my heart.

“A Psalm of Christmas”

Lord we blame

the innkeeper

for only giving you

the stable

when his inn was full

but what about

all the others

who lived in Bethlehem

that night

when you were born.

Why were

all their houses

that weren’t full

of guests

fast closed

against the one

who contained you?

God bless

our little homes

this Christmastime

make them

big enough

to welcome you

contained in those

for whom the world

has no room

except

a cold and lonely

Christmas day.

Enjoy Wednesday, today, the 25th day of Advent


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