in the beginning

in the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God
the WORD was GOD

 

in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
    the earth was formless and empty

 

empty
nothing
void

 

darkness was over the deeps
    the Spirit of God hovered over the waters

 

God said, let there be light
    let there be light
    let there be light
    and there was light

 

and the Word was God
the WORD was GOD

 

by the Word of the Lord were the heavens made
their starry host by the breath of His mouth

 

the heavens declare the glory of God
the skies proclaim the work of His hands

 

and the Word was God
the WORD was GOD

 

then God said, Let Us make man in Our image
    into Our likeness We will create

 

so God made man in His image
    in the image of God did He make him
    male and female He made them

 

God blessed them and said
     be fruitful and increase
    fill the earth and subdue it
    rule over the fish
    and the birds of the air
    and the creatures that move on the ground

 

and God saw all that He had made
    and it was very good
    it was good
    it was good
it was very good

 

now the serpent was beautiful
was an angel of God
but his envy and pride made him fall

 

and the serpent was filled up with hatred
    crafty and sneaky and mean
    so he plucked up the fruit that’s forbidden
    and he polished the fruit until shiny
and presented it to the woman
eat it, it’s good – you’ll like it, you’ll see

 

and she ate
and he ate
and I ate
and we ate

 

and she fell
and he fell
and I fell
and we fell

 

our disobedience caused us to fall
and created a gulf between us and our Father

 

but
in the beginning
God made a plan

 

a plan to redeem a world that had fallen
a creation that’s groaning
since the beginning
    of sin

 

a plan for redemption from sin
    from injustice
    from hatred
    from envy
    from greed and from pride and from sin

 

in the beginning was the word
    and the Word was with God
    and the Word was God
    the Word was GOD

 

the Word became flesh
made His dwelling among us
God became man
O great mystery and blessing
Alpha and Omega inserts Himself in time
God eternal touches man

 

the Word became flesh
    to redeem His creation
    to remind us of God and His love
to show us the way
    of living that’s holy
    a life of redemption, of love and of peace

 

the Word became flesh
    then returned to the Father
but the Word remains with us this day

 

He dwells in the hearts of the people who love Him
    and His work of redemption is ours

 

ours is the task to share with the world
the love of our Father, redemption in Christ

 

as God anointed Christ that day
so Christ anoints each one of us
    to preach good news to the poor
    to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and sight for the blind
    to release the oppressed
    to proclaim the Lord’s favor
the good news for all

 

the indwelling Christ compels us to act
will you answer the call to love as He loved
    to redeem the world through His strength and His teaching
    to practice Christmas 
    the Word become flesh
    every day of the year

 

the Word made His dwelling among us
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God
the WORD was GOD 

 

by anna lenardson
(Christmas reading 2008)