Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

A Christmas Story – Epilogue…

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

A Christmas Story… is a playlist I’ve (re)made from a collection of the best christmas songs and hymns me and my friends could find on Spotify. I arranged the songs to let the lyrics do the telling of the greatest story ever told.

Epilogue – Love Came Down

O Holy Night

Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, with all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Love Came Down At Christmas

Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine. Love was born at Christmas, star and angels gave the sign. Love will be our token, Love be yours and love be mine. Love from God to all of us, Love for plea and gift and sign.

He Has Come For Us (God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen)

He has come for us this Jesus, He’s the hope for all mankind. He has come for us the Messiah, Born to give us life.

Go, Tell It On The Mountain

Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born. And God sent us salvation that blessèd Christmas morn. Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, In the highest!

 

Now that our celebration is over, we might still wonder what it was all about. Christmas gets far more attention than its role in the New Testament warrants, as Professor Wright put it in an article I recently read. But it’s the start of the climax of the greatest story ever told I’d say. A story of a broken, lost world, gone so far from the way its creator had planned for it. But not far from its creator. Because, as Wright writes, He is not a god who watches from the distance, and  intervenes from the outside. He  is always present and active within His world. He is always trying to bring it back to him. This is why one time, roughly 2000 years ago, the Creator became flesh, became a human, became a child. In the words of St. Augustine.

He wished to become one of our children in order to make us His Children.

For further reading on the subject of Jesus’ birth, I’d recommend the article by N.T. Wright that I mentioned.

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
No Comments »

A Christmas Story – Act 3…

Sunday, December 25th, 2011

A Christmas Story… is a playlist I’ve (re)made from a collection of the best christmas songs and hymns me and my friends could find on Spotify. I arranged the songs to let the lyrics do the telling of the greatest story ever told.

Act 3 – Mary’s Contemplation

Silent 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, Heaven is coming to earth.

Bethlehem Town

Oh, Mary, Joseph, rest your eyes. Try not to think of the ending. World full of empty, He will die, but tonight He is still just a child. The silent night drifts all away, and the angels are dancing around you. There’s the joy of knowing He’ll save the world, overshadowing the pain that He’ll go through. Have you cursed at the wind? Have you cried to the heavens? Have you fought with this mercy you don’t understand? When the wise men kneel down to kiss the hand of this king they found, in Bethlehem town.

What Child Is This

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh, come peasant, king to own Him; The King of kings salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Mary Did You Know

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, Has come to make you new? This child that you’ve delivered. Did you know that your baby boy, Is heaven’s perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I Am!

 

I just love the last song. Almost every time I listen to it, I’m struck with this profound amazement and bewilderment at the last words. The baby is the great “I am”, YHWH, God. As one of my pastors said, the incarnation is the greatest mystery of all. You have to wonder what Mary and Joseph were thinking. Did they know? Did they believe it? Did they understand that this was the child the prophets spoke of, their Messiah, God incarnate?

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness   a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,  you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,  and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. – Isaiah 9:2-7

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
No Comments »

A Christmas Story – Act 2…

Sunday, December 25th, 2011

A Christmas Story… is a playlist I’ve (re)made from a collection of the best christmas songs and hymns me and my friends could find on Spotify. I arranged the songs to let the lyrics do the telling of the greatest story ever told.

Act 2 – Onwards to Bethlehem

Angels We Have Heard On High

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?

O Come All Ye Faithful

O sing, choirs of angels, O sing in exultation. O sing all ye bright hosts of heaven above, glory to God, sing. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Little Drummer Boy

Come they told me, a new born King to see. Our finest gifts we bring, to lay before the King. So to honor Him, when we come. Little Baby, I am a poor boy too. I have no gift to bring, that’s fit to give the King. Shall I play for you on my drum? Mary nodded, the ox and lamb kept time. I played my drum for Him, I played my best for Him! Pa rum pum pum pum!

Away In A Manger 

Away in a manger, no crib for His bed. The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the bright sky, looked down where He lay. The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

 

Is this the Messiah? In a country, occupied by a tyrannical military nation, a bastard child is born to a young teenage girl. A girl whom most people would call an adulteress (who would buy that conceived by a holy spirit thing anyways?). He is put on some left over hay, in a stable. The first who hears about his birth are the shepherds, some of the lowest ranking members of society, some of the poorest. The only other visitors are three gentile magi, strangers from another country, of another religion. Somehow it all kinda fits nicely with Jesus’ mission statement.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. – Luke 4:18, 19

He comes for the poor, the oppressed, the sick, the sinners, the uncool, the unwanted, the outcasts, the strangers, the unloved… well, I think you get the idea.

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
No Comments »

A Christmas Story – Act 1…

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

A Christmas Story… is a playlist I’ve (re)made from a collection of the best christmas songs and hymns me and my friends could find on Spotify. I arranged the songs to let the lyrics do the telling of the greatest story ever told.

Act 1 – The Angels Come

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

That glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold: ”Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heavens all gracious King!” The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

“Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled” Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies and with the angelic host proclaim: ”Christ is born in Bethlehem”

Joy To The World

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

From God our Heavenly Father a blessed angel came; And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same: How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by Name.

Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind. So then we behold it, the virgin mother kind. To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior, when half spent was the night.

The First Noel

Born is the King of Israel!

 

As God had promised, Messiah was born. Announced by angels and celebrated by shepards. My favorite bible book, the gospel of John, starts as follows.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

This is what the angels were singing, God had come to earth, Emmanuel had come, God had come to be with us, and with him peace on earth, good will to all men!

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: ,
No Comments »

A Christmas Story – Prologue…

Friday, December 9th, 2011

A Christmas Story… is a playlist I’ve (re)made from a collection of the best christmas songs and hymns me and my friends could find on Spotify. I arranged the songs to let the lyrics do the telling of the greatest story ever told.

Prologue – Advent

O come, O come Emmanuel

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

Bereden Väg för Herran (Prepare the way, O Zion!)

O Zion, He approaches, Your Lord and King for you. Strew palms where He advances, spread garments in His way. God’s promise never fails, Hosanna sound forever!

Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)

I have traveled many moonless nights, cold and weary with a babe inside. I wonder what I’ve done? Holy Father, You have come and chosen me now to carry Your son.

Gläns Över Sjö och Strand (Shine over lakes and land)

Night over our land, night over Zion. In the western sky Orion fades. The tired shepard sleeps, the child in his sweet dreams, awakened by the wonderful chorus of voices. Shine with wonderous light, star in the east.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are

We three kings of Orient are bearing gifts we travel afar. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

Det Är En Ros Utsprungen (Instrumental version of Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming)

 

Advent is the coming of the Messiah, the Lord. “A time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the nativity of Jesus at Christmas.” according to Wikipedia. “The season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians”… for the Parousia, the second coming of Christ. Then as we wait for Christmas, to celebrate the promises that were fullfilled when Christ was born, we know that He will return again, as was promised, because “God’s promise never fails”.

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:11

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
No Comments »

Did you know…

Friday, December 24th, 2010

I have had one song for my season-greetings the last few years, and since I like it that way, I will have one this year too. This years Christmas song is one which speaks clearly about the reason I celebrate Christmas. Namely the mystery that is the incarnation. God becoming human. As John puts it.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. – John 1:1-2,14

That is why. Mark Lowry puts it this way in his song.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve 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 a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and 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.

With it, I wish you all a nice Christmas. Here it is, performed by Kutless.

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
No Comments »

Peace on earth…

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Today we begin the new year, according to the church calendar. It is Advent, as we wait for the King of Peace. Here is one of my favorite Christmas-hymns.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Here’s Jars of Clay’s version on youtube. With alot of… pictures of Jesus. Only version there was, and the album isn’t on Spotify. Just listen.

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
No Comments »

Emmanuel has come…

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

I’ve decided that this is this year’s Christmas song, O Come, o come Emmanuel. They say the text is based on the prohpecy in Isaiah, that Matthew quotes as fullfilled in Jesus’ birth.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” – which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

With it I wish everyone a blessed Christmas. The day we celebrate that the Logos became flesh and made his dwelling among us. The incarnation, the birth of the Messiah, our Saviour, our Lord, our God, Jesus Christ.

For truly, in him, God is with us!

I’ve found many versions of the song on youtube. Sufjan Stevens’ was the best one. My dear sister would want me to use this version instead. Unfortunatly not one seems to sing all seven verses. So, do like me and put on Casting Crown’s instrumental version and sing along.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel.

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: ,
No Comments »

Noël…

Wednesday, December 24th, 2008

English Translation of Minuits, chrétiens / Cantique de Noël

(The English version of O Holy Night is not a direct translation of the French.)

Midnight, Christians is the solemn hour
When God as Man descended unto us
To erase the original stain
And end the wrath of his Father.
The entire world trembles with expectation
In this night that gives to us a Savior.

Fall on your knees, await your deliverance.
Noel, Noel, here is the Redeemer,
Noel, Noel, here is the Redeemer!

The ardent light of our Faith,
Guides us all to the cradle of the infant,
As in ancient times a brilliant star
Conducted the Magi there from the orient.
The King of kings was born in a humble manger;
O mighty ones of today, proud of your grandeur,

It is to your pride that God preaches.
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!

The redeemer has broken every shackle
The earth is free, and heaven is open.
He sees a brother where there was once only a slave
Those who had been chained together by iron, love now unites.
Who will tell Him of our gratitude
It is for every one of us that he was born, suffered and died.

Stand on your feet, sing of your deliverance.
Noel, Noel, sing of the Redeemer,
Noel, Noel, sing of the Redeemer!

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags:
No Comments »

Love came down…

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Jars of Clay – Love came down at Christmas

Posted by dafydd in Uncategorized
Tags: ,
No Comments »