Here is an easy, informal reading to be performed before “Away in the Manger”
Reader 1: away
Reader 2: but so near to the outcast
Reader 1: near to the blood of the innocents
Reader 2: near to life, a dangerous mystery
Reader 1: no crib for a bed
Reader 2: 1st century squalor of animals
Both: away
Reader 1: alone
Reader 2: no turning back
Reader 1: the little Lord Jesus
Reader 2: God meshed in skin
Reader 1: helpless Master Infant
Reader 2: laid down His sweet head
Reader 1: the brow of thorns
Reader 2: smitten by bandits, spit upon, mocked
Reader 1: yet eyes still fixed on His love
Reader 2: the stars in the sky
Reader 1: each fixed in place
Reader 2: bold, mighty, universe
Reader 1: the Author: this Infant
Reader 2: full of wonder
Reader 1: as angels, and Abba
Reader 2: proudly, sadly
Reader 1: looked down where He lay
Both: away
Reader 2: relentlessly committed
Both: away
Reader 1: vacating the thrones and crowns of glory
Both: away
Reader 1: the glory of His love
Both: away
Reader 2: humble
Reader 1: Master
Reader 2: Creator
Both: away
Reader 1: matchless mysterious Ruler
Both: Away
This work by Matt Tullos is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International