Sunday, January 11, 2026 – Barb DeJeet
JANUARY REFLECTION
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
The Twelve Days of Christmas.
There is a fascinating article written about this popular song with hidden meaning. The article was written during a time of persecution, to help children learn and remember the Christian faith. The people who wrote the song were not permitted to practice their faith openly, so the song was designed to have two meanings: a surface meaning and another hidden meaning known only to people of faith. See how well you can do in guessing the hidden meanings.
A Partridge in a Pear Tree: Christ’s death on the cross.
Two Turtle Doves: the Old and New Testaments.
Three French Hens: faith, hope and love.
Four Calling Birds: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four Gospels
Five Golden Rings: the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.
Six Geese a-Laying: the six days of Creation
Seven Swans a- Swimming: seven gifts from the Holy Spirit.
Eight Maids a-Milking: the eight Beatitudes
Nine Ladies Dancing: the nine fruits of the Spirit.
Ten Lords a-Leaping: the Ten Commandments.
Eleven Pipers Piping: the eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve Drummers Drumming: the points of belief in the Apostle Creed.
I have no way of knowing how accurate this bit of trivia is – it is likely an urban legend. But whether true or not, this notion of a hidden meaning does make a point, namely this; our minds are trained to search for hidden meaning. And there’s a reason for that – there usually is deeper meaning to most things.
This is certainly true of Christmas. We know up front that our human minds simply are not big enough to comprehend the fullness of what it means to say, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Still, we need to stretch our minds, expand our souls, and open our hearts to the deeper meanings of Christmas.
Joseph was an inspiration to all of us because he didn’t fully understand what was happening at the first Christmas, nevertheless, he accepted it and he celebrated the first Christmas. He welcomed the Christ Child into his life with open arms. So can we. So should we. We are so like Joseph. Christmas comes to us wrapped in divine mystery and wonder and awe. All we need to do is embrace Christmas and celebrate Christmas and share Christmas…. and welcome the Christ Child into our lives with open arms. Like Joseph, we can do our best and trust God for the rest, and through God’s amazing grace and powerful presence we can find Bethlehem even in the midst of bedlam.
Praise be to God. AMEN
By Barb DeJeet
"A Village Church With A Heart For The World"
Christ United Church
12 Perth St., Lyn, ON, K0E 1M0
(613)498-0281 (Phone) (613)498-2589 (Fax)
lynunitedchurch@cogeco.net www.lynunitedchurch.com Follow on Twitter: @Ch1United