Christmas Songs
SUNDAY
"In The Bleak Midwinter"
Today I am sharing one of my favorite Christmas songs that I enjoy hearing Michael sing. In King Solomon’s prayer as he dedicated the temple, he proclaimed of God, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (I Kings 8:27) This may have been the inspiration behind this beautiful Christmas poem written by Christina Rosetti sometime before 1872. In the second verse she moves from His meek birth to His majestic reign as we see in Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." The last verse speaks to each of us in a personal way as we look into our own hearts and ask, "Yet what I can, I give Him - Give my heart." The song that we sing today has changed over time, but here is the poem by Christina Rosetti.
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air -
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man
I would do my part;
Yet what I can, I give Him -
Give my heart.
MONDAY
A Christmas Dream
Before my cancer surgery I loaded games on my iPad to play while I was recovering. Some of the games are word association where you pick words from a group of words that are connected in some way. I dreamed that words came streaming down from the sky and I was trying to put them together. From the left side…. “Joyful and triumphant.” Then streaming down on the right, “Come and behold Him, born the King of ages”. The words kept gently falling and suddenly they were all coming together connected and held as if by angels, “Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing. O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him , Christ The Lord!” I woke up with the song ringing in my soul. This is how it is all connected. From my earliest Christmas memory when I could barely read verses from Luke 2 and my sisters and I acted out the Christmas story for Mom and Dad, to the first Nativity pieces we had as a young family I found boxed up in the attic for 30 years. It doesn’t matter that I was in the hospital with AFIB last Christmas or that I had cancer surgery this Christmas. The whole meaning of our Christmas Lists and celebrations is our worship of The Lamb of God, “Now in flesh appearing.” The Lord woke me with a renewed awareness that that’s what Christmas is all about! I’ve been awake a couple hours now, just thanking my Lord for showing me that all the shopping and wrapping and decorating are just little parts of the joy we have this time of year, whether in a sick bed or anywhere else. Our Christmas joy comes from our worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I wrote this on my phone in the wee hours of the morning because there may be someone else who is suffering, or grieving, or going through hard times that just needs to be reminded that our worship to our Lord is what Christmas is all about.
TUESDAY
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is one of the oldest known Christmas carols, dating back to the 1500s. It is said that the songs of that time were dark and somber, and the night watchmen sang this song as they walked the streets of London to bring more joyful, uplifting songs. The title means, “may God grant you peace and happiness.” This song continues to bring “tidings of comfort and joy” to our Christmas season.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11)
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How in that Bethlehem was born
The son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
WEDNESDAY
"Silent Night"
This song was the highlight of our Christmas play. The narration began with a British Soldier of WWI in a beige uniform and ended with a German Soldier of WWI in a gray uniform. The German Soldier sang a verse of "Stille Nacht" and the British Soldier sang a verse of "Silent Night". They alternated singing the verses of the familiar song and then exchanged small gifts.
Silent Night was written by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf, Austria in 1816. Two years later, on Christmas Eve 1818, he gave the poem to his church organist and asked him to write music for the guitar, possibly because the organ was broken. The music was written quickly and the song was sung on Christmas Day. Two singing families traveled to that little church and carried the song with them across the land. During the next hundred years the song traveled around the world.
World War I started in the summer of 1914 and by Christmas almost a million lives had been lost. As the German and British soldiers lay some 60 yards apart on either side of “No man’s land” in deep trenches of icy, murky mud, an amazing thing happened. Late Christmas Eve a baritone voice came booming from the German side, “Stille Nacht”. The British could not understand the words, but knew the music well and responded with their words of “Silent Night”. The opposing troops alternated singing Christmas carols and the Germans lit candles on small Christmas trees. On Christmas Day the soldiers crossed the barbed wire and called a truce. They exchanged small gifts and buttons, and joined services to bury the dead. This one time in history, never again repeated, the guns were silenced and enemies called a truce as they celebrated Christmas, in the first World War, December 25th, 1914.
Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake, at the sight
Glories stream from heaven above
Heavenly, hosts sing Hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.
THURSDAY
"What Child Is This?”
What Child is this whose birth was foretold and so anticipated? What Child is this whose promise of a second coming brings hope to a Christian people? What Child is this that left His mark on the little town of Bethlehem and still bears the marks of the cross throughout eternity? What Child is this that can heal the broken in spirit and give sight to blinded eyes? What Child is this whose birth was heralded by angels and yet gives the peace of a Silent Night? “This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.” These words were penned by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 after a sudden near-fatal illness confined him to bed rest for several months. Through his illness and deep depression he wrote many hymns, including this beautiful song set to the familiar tune Greensleeves, which had been written centuries before.
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
the Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The babe, the Son of Mary.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
FRIDAY
“How Many Kings?”
"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16)
A few years ago I heard a song while grocery shopping, that made me stop pushing my cart and listen. It was a Christmas song, but so much more. I had never heard the story of Christ giving His life for me, in words so clear, being played in a public place. I could not wait to get home to look it up on the internet. I liked the song so much Mike ordered me a cd and more for Christmas presents. The song is by the group Downhere. Here is a statement from their website.
“It’s not just about a baby in a manger, but about the whole story,” affirms Martel. “It’s a look at all the hopes placed on this fragile baby, who will eventually grow, take on the sins of the world, be crucified and rise again. There’s a mystery and a wonder behind it and also foreshadowing of what’s to come, which translates to redemption for the lost and the ultimate hope for the future.”" (Downhere - Mark Martel)
Here are the words to "How Many Kings?" that tell the amazing story of love of our Lord and King.
"Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected,
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl -
Just a child -
Is this who we've waited for? 'cause...
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe.
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
All for me...
All for you..."
Only One did that for me!
SATURDAY
“Mary, Did You Know?"
Some of my favorite Christmas memories were made as I rocked my babies in the still of the night. The lights of the Christmas tree gave the room a soft warm glow. Having five children gave me the chance to experience these magic moments over and over again, for many years. As I rocked and sang to my babies I often thought of Mary, holding her precious Baby Jesus that first Christmas. This verse became special to me the first Christmas I was a mother. Holding my month old baby that Christmas opened the door of my heart and soul to a new kind of love, a mother's love. I found new enlightenment to this verse, "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) The feelings were so special that I wrote this verse on the opening page of my first journal in the spring of 1984.
I am not the only one who pondered the thoughts of Mary. Mark Lowry wrote questions for Mary as part of the Christmas choir presentation in 1984. Buddy Greene wrote the music for the song twelve years later. This is a beautiful song and has been recorded by many artists over the past few years.
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Has come to make you new;
This Child that you delivered
Will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Has walked where Angels trod?
When you kiss your Little Baby,
You kiss the Face of God!
Oh, Mary, did you know?
Oh, Mary, did you know?
The blind will see, the deaf will hear,
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak
The praises of the lamb!
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Is Heaven's Perfect Lamb?
This sleeping Child you're holding
Is the Great I Am!
