Light now is born

Light now is born in this one tiny child,
Born from above and by sin undefiled;
Light that will shine through the bleakness of sin,
Guiding us homeward to be God’s own kin.

In the beginning, the story is told;
How God made light in creation of old.
Now in this baby the light is made new,
And all our deepest desires are made true.

In the beginning was one holy Word,
As it is told in the gospel we heard;
In him was light that is life to us all:
This child, that Savior on whom we must call.

Holy the light once created of old. 
Holy the light in the gospel retold.
Holy the light that cannot be undone.
Holy the light in this new life begun.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, January 2023, after John 1.

MUSIC: Suggested tune SLANE, Irish ballad. (Various harmonizations that may be under copyright)

 

 

A prior edition of my denomination's Book of Common Worship once contained this sentence (in red no less) describing the importance of John's prologue being preached during the season of Christmas: "If these readings are not used on Christmas Day, they should be used at some service during the Christmas cycle because of the significance of John’s prologue." This is far from preaching, but John's prologue, in a rather mashed-up form interacting with things from other gospels,  is now somewhat represented in this "twelve hymns of Christmas" series of reflections set to music.