About the Hymn
This hymn attempts to capture the mystery of Christmas, asking us mere mortals to quiet ourselves and ponder once again these events that changed the course of history—and eternity.
Stanza 1 draws on John 1, where the apostle tells us that the pre-incarnate Son of God, who was present at creation as the Logos, the Word, became incarnate and dwelled with us. The Word through whom all things were created, beginning with the word “Let there be light,” himself entered creation as a baby boy, born miraculously of a virgin, in the darkness of a village called Bethlehem.
Stanza 2 asks us to consider the angels who sang a Gloria that must have forever shaken those shepherds. It seems that God’s angels become visible to herald only the most extraordinary events, and this is one: that true God descended to become a human being. Such depth of love! Note that the verse does not say we are inherently worthy of that deep love, but that God declares us worthy.
Stanza 3 asks us to remember that, just as Isaiah foretold 700+ years before Christ, this little child was born to die. Jesus’ humiliation includes not only his birth but also his torture and death as the Suffering Servant. The wood of the manger becomes the wood of the cross. Birth becomes death. And we, the dead and dying, become alive again.
The hymn should be performed at a unhurried♩= ca. 63.
Text
1. Mortals, now be still and ponder
mysteries beyond our sight.
Word that was with God in darkness,
calling forth the first day’s light—
Word takes flesh and dwells among us,
Virgin-born in Bethl’em’s night.
2. Mortals, now be still and ponder
rhapsodies transcending earth.
Angels sing the glory-wonder:
Christ descends to such a birth.
Depth of love we cannot fathom—
God declares we have such worth.
3. Mortals, now be still and ponder
prophecies Isaiah sings:
Son of God becomes the Servant
crushed and bent to sufferings.
Born to die in Calv’ry’s darkness,
light and life to us He brings.
© 2001 Laurie F. Gauger
Lectionary Reading
Christmas Day (Nativity of the Lord): John 1:1–14
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
