To wrap up the festive season, today’s hymn is a repost and my favourite Christmas carol. There are so many versions out there, but my favourite is being in a room full of believers, singing at the top of their lungs these words; there’s no other sound like it! I hope you’ve enjoyed the Christmas season!

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem! 
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels!

Refrain:
O come, let us adore Him; 
O come, let us adore Him; 
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

God of God, Light of Light,
lo, He abhors not the virgin’s womb;
very God, begotten not created; [Refrain]

Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above! 
Glory to God, all glory in the highest! [Refrain]

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! [Refrain]

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Today’s hymn comes from one of the greatest hymn writers and poets, John Newton, and is included in his 1779 collection ‘Olney Hymns’. No matter how you decide to celebrate (or not) Christmas, I pray meditating on Christ’s incarnation will lead you to say with Newton “I will love Thee with­out end”. Enjoy reading this one and have a blessed Christmas time!

Sweeter sounds than mu­sic knows
Charm me, in Em­ma­nu­el’s name;
All her hopes my spir­it owes
To His birth, and cross, and shame.

When He came the an­gels sung
Glory be to God on high,
Lord, un­loose my stam­mer­ing tongue,
Who should loud­er sing than I?

Did the Lord a man be­come
That He might the law ful­fill,
Bleed and suf­fer in my room,
And canst thou, my tongue, be still?

No, I must my prais­es bring,
Though they worth­less are, and weak;
For should I re­fuse to sing
Sure the ve­ry stones would speak.

O my Sav­iour, shield, and sun,
Shepherd, bro­ther, hus­band, friend,
Every pre­cious name in one;
I will love Thee with­out end.

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Today’s hymn comes from Reformer Martin Luther. Writing about this hymn, Pastor Greg Wismar notes “although much of the music was reserved for the clergy in the early centuries of the Christian Church, by the end of the first millennium the singing of choral responses by the entire gathered congregation had begun to take shape. In Germany these sung responses of praise, traced as far back as the tenth century, were called Leisen. The verse sung by people at worship on Christmas day, now the first stanza of “We Praise You, Jesus, at Your Birth,” dates
back to the eleventh century. It had been established already for centuries when Martin Luther added six more stanzas to it and published it as a hymn late in 1523 or in 1524 along with the tune to which the song is still sung to this day. The choice of this hymn as the “hauptlied” or chief hymn for Christmas Day has found usage among Lutheran people for almost five hundred years!¹” Enjoy this one today!

We praise you, Jesus, at your birth;
Clothed in flesh you came to earth.
The virgin bears a sinless boy
and all the angels sing for joy. Alleluia!

Now in the manger we may see
God’s Son from eternity,
the gift from God’s eternal throne
here clothed in our poor flesh and bone. Alleluia!

The virgin Mary’s lullaby
calms the infant Lord Most High.
Upon her lap content is he
who keeps the earth and sky and sea. Alleluia!

The Light Eternal, breaking through,
made the world to gleam anew;
his beams have pierced the core of night,
he makes us children of the light. Alleluia!

The very Son of God sublime
entered into earthly time
to lead us from this world of cares
to heaven’s courts as blessed heirs. Alleluia!

In poverty he came to earth
showing mercy by his birth;
he makes us rich in heav’nly ways
as we, like angels, sing his praise. Alleluia!

All this for us our God has done
granting love through his own Son.
Therefore, all Christendom, rejoice
And sing his praise with endless voice. Alleluia!

_¹https://www.cuchicago.edu/globalassets/media-files-master/documents-and-images/academics/centers-of-excellence/center-for-church-music/devotions/hymn-of-the-day-devotion-christmas-day2.pdf

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Today’s advent hymn is written by Lutheran pastor Johann Gottfried Olearius (1635-1711). This hymn is directed to Christ as our ransom, the one who was born to pay the price for our sin. I hope this meditation leads you also to sing Hosanna in your heart! Enjoy!

Meter: 7.8.7.8.7.7

Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Saviour of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.

Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!

My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Saviour, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.

Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.

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December is upon us, so it’s only right to post some Advent/Christmastide songs! Today is one I reposted a couple of years ago, but is one of my favourites since I discovered it. “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”, which is a beloved Christmas hymn that poignantly expresses the eternality of the Son of God and his divinity and coequality with the Father and the Spirit. It serves as a reminder that Jesus is the promised and long-awaited for Messiah who brings redemption to the world. It was originally written in the 4th Century by Marcus Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (commonly known as Prudentius) – it was then translated into English in the mid 19th Century¹. Below are some of my favourite renditions; enjoy!

Of the Father’s love begotten
‘Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending he,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore.

Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Saviour of our race,
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed his sacred face,
Evermore and evermore.

This is he whom seers and sages
Sang of old with one accord,
Whom the voices of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now he shines, the long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord,
Evermore and evermore.

Let the heights of heav’n adore him,
Angel hosts his praises sing,
Pow’rs, dominions bow before him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring,
Evermore and evermore.

Christ, to thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.

¹https://medium.com/congregational-song/hymn-analysis-of-the-fathers-love-begotten-c702fb643ffb#:~:text=%E2%80%9COf%20the%20Father’s%20Love%20Begotten,brings%20redemption%20to%20the%20world.

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