Christmas Day at St. Cuthbert

Greyfriars Kirk , Edinburgh, 2025*

Written by C3 Guest, H. Stephen Shoemaker

We huddled from the cold morning in expectant quiet,

the organ breaking the silence playing “ In dulci jubilo”,

“ Good Christian friends rejoice with heart and mind and voice!”,

variations on the ancient tune from minor to major keys,

as the light breaking forth from the darkness and sadness of the world

into joy.

At the central altar a Menorah stands, eight candles lighted,

next to the Christ Candle lighted by a revered older woman from the choir,

like Anna in the temple seeing Jesus at his dedication.

From the beginning we are praying for Jews slaughtered at worship in Bondi,

as those mothers who had secretly circumcised their sons

under the reign of Persian king Antiochus were executed

along with their children, ingniting the Maccabean revolt

remembered by Hanakkah’s candles.

Like the innocent infants slain in Bethlehem by Herod’s paranoid sword.

It is a dangerous world for children into which Christ was born.

And today we are praying for the Jewish people and for all the world

living in terror and want.

The hopes and fears of all the years met this Christmas morning.

The first hymn catapults us into joy, “ The first Nowell the angels did sing!”

Then Luke’s Christmas gospel: “ In those days a decree went out from

 Caesar Augustus”,

a child born on the world stage at the edge of the world

whose life would divide history into Before and After.

Then perfectly, “ Joy to the world the Lord is come!”

Then the choir joins the jubilation:

“ Ding dong, merrily on high! In heaven the bells are ringing;

ding dong, verily the sky is riv’n with angels singing….

E’en so here below, let steeple bells be swungen,

and io, io, io, by priest and people sungen!

Gloria, hosanna in excelsis! Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!”

How does one contain oneself?

The Reverend Callum Macdougall preaching, reminds us

( Samuel Johnson once remarked that humankind more frequently requires

to be reminded than informed)

that the symbol of the faith this day is not a cross or a fish

but a manger.

The grammar of the gospel has countered forever

the syntax of domination,

God in a cow stall, a makeshift crib for a makeshift night,

Divinity in the straw.

The organ sends us forth as it had ushered us in, in joy:

“ In dulci jubilo”, by St. Bach.

* St. Cuthbert Parish Church was founded with the visit of St. Cuthbert, 7th century Celtic missionary, and as the city’s oldest standing church has celebrated Christmas continuously for eighteen centuries. They joined this day to worship with Greyfriars Kirk on Christmas Day.

For more of Stephen Shoemaker's poems, sermons, books, lectures and reflections on the Christian life go to https://shoemakersstudy.com/