Christmas Carols

Our "Children's Nativity"

What's your favorite Christmas Carol? I'd tell you mine, but there are SO many and I just can't narrow it down to one! W-CSG has been playing almost continuous Christmas Carols 24/7 since December 1. I absolutely love that they do this! I never ever get tired of hearing them. I guess because the theme is always JESUS and the Lord's awesome love for this world -- OUR world, this mixed-up, crazy, sometimes too-sad place. The really old carols like "Silent Night," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "What Child is This?", "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Angels We Have Heard on High" -- so rich with Scripture and the whole story of the work of Christ -- those are all public domain -- which is nice for a person like me who makes greeting cards and doesn't understand all of the copyright laws and all of the complications that go with it. But I love the new carols too -- like "Breath of Heaven," "Mary, Did you Know?", "Immanuel" and tons like those. I'd like to share the words to a carol I never heard before this year! It is on a CD called "Songs 4 Worship, Christmas." The music is amazingly beautiful and I would love for you to hear it. I don't know how people actually get a playlist on their blogs. Our Emily showed me in detail how to do it when we were in Minneapolis at the end of September; but when I got home to Grand Rapids, it had disappeared and I can't find it or reconstruct it at all! So, the words are all I can share with you tonight.

Holy Lamb of God
A virgin cried when You were born
Tears of joy and tears of pain
As Heaven's angels watched in wonder
How could You the Ancient One
In the frame of man be bound
Lying there with feet and hands
Fully God and fully man!

Who could see and who could know
You had left Your kingdom's throne
Baby crying in a manger
You had come to give Your life
as a holy sacrifice
Nails would pierce your feet and hands
for every heart and every man!

CHORUS: Holy Lamb of God, how we love you
Shepherd of our hearts, how we praise You
We were blind and lost
but you came to rescue us
And we thank You Holy Lamb of God!

Now You are the risen One
All You came to do You've done
On this Christmas we remember
How love came down to set us free
From our sin and from our fear
Lord of all we vow our hearts
To the wonder that You are!

Music and lyrics by: Gary Sadler and Steven V. Taylor "The Son reflects God's own glory,
and everything about him
represents God exactly.
He sustains the universe
by the power of his command.
After he died
to cleanse us from the stain of sin.
he sat down
in the place of honor
at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven."
HEBREWS 1:3

There are three more weeks in December to listen to these beautiful carols. I know I'll have to share some more lyrics with you because it feels selfish not to! Right now, however, I have to get back to addressing Christmas cards ...