O Worship the Babe

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O worship the babe, no beauty to see,

In manger as slave, as helpless as we.

Enrobed in our weakness, wrapped up in our loss,

Majestic in meekness he crawls toward the cross.

 

O worship the Man enthorned on the tree

In dark dereliction the Godhead’s decree

Has rendered him cursed, the flashpoint of shame

Has mangled in mercy the heights of his Name.

 

O worship in unity, God only wise

His foolishness evident, Christ Crucified.

His glory how wretched, his brilliance how dull

His sovereign dominion slumped down at the Skull.

 

In puzzled dismay & foundational doom

The Sky-choir goes mute yet gapes at the tomb

As darkness creeps in and our hope flickers out

The death-fangs of sin closed with God in its mouth.

 

Today in the heavens the cherubim sing

With myriads of angels the praise of this king

Whose Triune surprise turned the cross to a throne

When Mercy’s demise purchased pleasures unknown.

 

 

 

 

My soul, mind this turn, when blurred in despair

Remember how Abba answered Christ’s prayer

In three days the Father before all the host,

Raised him from the tomb by the bright Holy Ghost.

 

O follow his trail through the valleys of death

When heavy your step and tight all your breath

When purpose has faded and joys have all flown

And hope set before you has sunk like a stone

 

When all taste for living has withered away

O rest in the battle-scarred Christ of the Day

Whose dark crucifixion redeems every pain

Whose bright resurrection transforms it to gain!

 

Reuben Huffman

January 2018 AD