Thank You for Grieving with Us

The Coventry Carol
played by Windell Little

About The Coventry Carol

Lyrics:
Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing,
"Bye bye, lully, lullay"?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor child, for thee
And ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
"Bye bye, lully, lullay."

The "Coventry Carol" dates to 16th century England. It was originally performed as part of the Coventry Mystery Plays, which dramatized biblical events for congregational audiences, and it depicts the Massacre of the Innocents. The lyrics express the sorrow of mothers in Bethlehem whose children were victimized by King Herod. The text focuses on grief, lamentation, and the human cost of imperial power, using simple, repetitive language to evoke emotional intensity. This juxtaposition of lullaby and lament highlights the vulnerability of the infant Jesus and the surrounding suffering, drawing listeners into contemplation of the Nativity’s meaning and position within the suffering of our own times and communities and lives.

Thank You for Grieving With Us
by Lucinda S. Sutton

On a whim this Advent season, my youngest daughter, Jaden and I decided to re-read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever together. The story is told from the perspective of a fifth-grader whose mother accidentally inherits responsibility for their church’s Christmas pageant. This should be a relatively straightforward task (after all, it’s the same story at the same time and with pretty much the same cast every year; easy-peasy, right, Mr. John?), but this time, the operation gets turned on its head when the Herdmans—the neighborhood misfit family’s problem children—infiltrate and take over the main roles. Hijinks ensue. 

My favorite moment in the story this time around is when the Herdmans become absolutely obsessed with Herod. They get really, really angry about him. How could he hate and kill children? Why did everyone let him get away with it? Where was Child Protective Services? They even propose a new script for the pageant with a public execution of Herod at the end! They make everyone uncomfortable with their unfiltered reactions and demands for justice, and I love them for it.

Upon reflection, I think this is the stand-out moment for me right now because of how many people I connect with every day who are feeling the heavy parts (myself included). Questions of why and what to do and where is the help and when will relief finally come are everywhere…and ALL the feels are coming with them. I can’t pretend I have definitive answers to any of it, but this part of the Nativity story feels particularly relevant and powerful. However much I may weep and work and feel and fume over the injustices of this world and all who are harmed by them, God cares even more, and God is right there in the middle of it, experiencing it with us.

And so, I thank you, God:

• Thank you for grieving with us.
• Thank you for always keeping your promises.
• Thank you for the faith and wonder and frankness of children.
• Thank you for interruptions and disruptions that open us to new and better pursuits.
• Thank you for people who draw us in and embrace us and make us not feel like misfits anymore.
• Thank you that there is no pain, no system, no event, no power in all of creation that can defy your love for us.
• Thank you for always working for our good, and for letting us be part of the work right along with you.
• Thank you that this is not the end of the story. Not yet…

Reflect & Respond

• Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in? What happened? Who makes you feel accepted now?
• Who/what disrupts you in ways that help you grow and improve?
• What injustices get you riled up? How do you cope with them?