During the Twelve Days of Christmas, just as in the Advent season, I am going to reflect on a hymn or carol daily as part of my spiritual practices. I am not sure where all these reflections will take me, but in conversation with my spiritual director, I am going to leave room for both “the head stuff” and “the heart stuff.” Some days might be more of one or another. I invite you to join me, as together we make space to listen, and be present, to sense what God might be up to. 

Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas! It’s with a tinge of sadness that we reach the evening of the Twelfth Day. Tomorrow is Epiphany, and the day after the Baptism of Our Lord Sunday in many places of worship in the western church. But, at least for one more night, it is still Christmas.

I could say a lot of things today as I write, but I think just letting the words of “Joy to the World” speak for themselves, might be enough. It sums up the why we do what we do. It expresses my joy and gratitude. But it makes me wonder, what am I going to do for this reflection time each day now that we have reached the end of the Twelve Days? Do I keep going? Do I switch gears? Questions to ponder while I am the road this weekend I suppose.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. And so with Isaac Watts, let us rejoice once again this Christmas season, for the Lord has come.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king;
let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sin and sorrow grow nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love. 

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Credit/Reference: Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World,” English melody, arr. Lowell Mason; found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2006), 267.