Ordinary Holiness

Wonder
is at the root
of praise.
Wonder
is at the heart
of Christmas,
and not for one day only
but for each waking day.
At the heart
of Christ’s incarnation
is the truth
that God makes extraordinary things
happen
in ordinary places,
that heaven and earth
        holy and earthly
        God and human
are intertwined.
The wonder of Christmas
desires to creep
into every living moment,
so that we behold
the glory of God.
The wonder of this holy day
points to the wonder in all days;
the wonder of the Bethlehem stable
teaches us to find
the wonder in all places;
the wonder of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus
leads to the wonder
in the faces of ordinary people.
(O Mary,
Life
is
holy . . .)

Susan Palo Cherwien is a freelance writer and musician. She has written numerous hymn texts that appear in denominational hymnals in the United States and Canada. This poem is from the collection From Glory Into Glory: Reflections for Worship © 2009 MorningStar Music Publishers, product no. 90-42. Used by permission.

Reformed Worship 97 © September 2010 Worship Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church. Used by permission.