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* How can we retain our joy in the Christmas season even when hard times come?
* How has the person of Jesus Christ utterly changed history?
* How can you come to know Jesus in a personal way, and what will happen when you do so?
This episode is dedicated to the victims, the heroes, the families and the community of Sandy Hook, CT.
*********Episode Log Times***************
1:49 – Worship Session (Music and Prayer)
1:54 – Puer Natus Est Nobis (Chant from Roman Gradual)
5:00 – Joy to the World
7:52 – Ding Dong Merrily on High
10:13 – Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
11:48 – Break Forth, O Beauteous Heav’nly Light
14:38 – The Wexford Carol
20:13 – Go Tell It On the Mountain
22:15 – How Brightly Beams the Radiant Star
24:49 – Noel! Noel!
27:40 – O Holy Night
30:00 – Ring Out Ye Wild and Merry Bells
31:45 – Angels From the Realms of Glory
34:00 – Spoken, Spontaneous Prayer
40:50 – Sharing: Christmas Thoughts
49:18 – Final Comments and Doxology
A songsheet is available for this episode. Right-click here to download.
******************SONGS*******************
PUER NATUS EST NOBIS
Roman Gradual
Puer natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis
Cujus imperium super humerum ejus:
et vocabitur nomen ejus, magni consilii Angelus.
A child is born to us, and a Son is given for all of us
And the government shall be upon the shoulders of His
And there’ll be given a Name for Him:
Wonder-Counselor Mighty God.
Public Domain
JOY TO THE WORLD
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748; ANTIOCH from George F. Handel, 1685-1759
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat repeat the sounding joy
He rules the earth with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love.
Public Domain
DING! DONG! MERRILY ON HIGH!
Jehan Tabourot (1519–1593); Tr by George R. Woodward
Ding! Dong! Merrily on High,
In heav’n the bells are ringing
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing.
Glo – ria! Hosanna in excelsis.
E’en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And io, io, io, by priest and people sungen.
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Public Domain
HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING
Charles Wesley
Hark! the herald angels sing:
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinner reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise.
Join the triumph of the skies
With th’angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Glory to the Newborn King
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Come Desire of Nations come
Fix in us Thy humble home
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’Incarnate Deity
Pleased with man as man to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel!
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n w healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth.
Public Domain
BREAK FORTH, O BEAUTEOUS HEAV’NLY LIGHT
W: Johann Rist (1641); Tr by John Troutbeck (1885);
M:Johann Schop (1641); harmony by Johann S. Bach (1734)
Break forth O beauteous, heav’nly light
And usher in the morning.
You shepherd, shudder not with afright
But hear the angel’s warning.
This Child, now weak in infancy
Our confidence and joy shall be
The pow’r of Satan breaking,
Our peace eternal making.
Public Domain
THE WEXFORD CAROL
Irish carol, 12th century
Good people all this Christmas time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved Son
With Mary holy, we should pray
To God with love, this Christmas Day
In Bethlehem, upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.
The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass
From ev’ry door, repell’d alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox’s stall.
Hallelujah, Hallelu-jah.
Hallelujah, Hallelu-jah.
Near Bethlehem, did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep
To whom God’s angels did appear
Which put the Shepherd in great fear.
“Prepare and go” the angels said,
“To Bethlehem, be not afraid.
For there you’ll find this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.”
With thankful heart and joyful mind
The Shepherds went the babe to find
And as God’s angel had foretold
They did our Saviour Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid
And by His side, the Virgin maid
Attending on the Lord of life
Who came on earth, to end all strife.
There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay.
And when they cam unto that place,
Where our Beloved Messiah laid.
They humbly cast them at His feet
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.
Public Domain
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
African-American Spiritual
When I was a seeker
I sought both night and day
I asked the Lord to help me
And He showed me the way
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall
And though I am a Christian
I am the least of all
Public Domain
HOW BRIGHTLY BEAMS THE RADIANT STAR
Philipp Nicolai 1556-1608, Tr: William Mercer 1605-75, Harm. by J.S. Bach
How brightly beams the morning star!
What sudden radiance from afar
Doth glad us with its shining?
The ray of God that breaks our night
And fills the darken’d souls with light
Who long for truth we’re pining
Thy Word, Jesus, truly feeds us
Rightly leadus us, Life bestowing
Through Thee alone can we be blest
Then deep be on our hearts imprest
The love that Thou hast borne us
So make us ready to fulfill
With burning zeal Thy holy will
Though men may vex or scorn us
Saviour, Jesus, never lose Thee
For we choose Thee, thirst to know Thee.
All we are and have we owe Thee!
O praise to Thee who came to save
You conquered death and burst the grave
Each day new praise resoundeth
You are the Lamb who once was slain
the Friend whom none shall trust in vain
Whose grace always aboundeth
Sing, you heavens: tell the story of His glory
Till His praises flood with light earth’s darkest places.
Public Domain
NOEL! NOEL!
Traditional French-English Carol
Noel! Noel! Good news I tell,
And eke a wonder story
A virgin mild hath borne a child,
Jesus the King of glory!
Public Domain
O HOLY NIGHT
W:Placide Cappeau (1808-1877), Tr: Placide Cappeau (1808-1877),
M:Adolphe-Charles Adam (1803-1856)
O Holy Night! The Stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born
O night divine! O night O night divine!
Public Domain
RING OUT YE WILD AND MERRY BELLS
Words: unknown; M: C. Maitland
source: Carols old and Carols New (1916)
Ring out, ye wild and merry bells
Ring out the old, old story
That first was told by angel tongues
From out the realms of glory.
Peace on earth was their sweet song, glory in the highest!
Echoing all the hills away, glory in the highest!
Ring sweet bells, ring evermore
Peal from ev’ry steeple.
Christ the Lord, shall be our God
And we shall be His people.
Ring out ye silv’ry bells, ring out
Ring out your exultation
That God with man is reconciled.
Go tell it to the nations.
Therefore let us all today, glory in the highest!
Banish sorrow far away, glory in the highest!
Public Domain
ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY
James Montgomery (1816), Henry Smart (1867)
Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight o’er all the earth
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ the newborn King.
Shepherds, in the field abiding
Watching o’er your flocks by night
God with man is now residing
Yonder shines the infant Light.
Sages leave your contemplations
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of Nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.
Saints, before the altar bending
Watching long in hope and fear.
Suddenly the Lord, descending
In His temple shall appear.
Public Domain
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