3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

You are here: Home / Home

Saturday, Third Week Advent: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

by

Christmas Eve is tomorrow!

It came upon a midnight clear. One day, over two thousand years ago for a split second a star shone over Bethlehem and there was Peace on Earth. The news of his birth had been predicted. It was feared by rulers so much they sent wise men to “spy” and report back. Shepards were visited by angels and the whole earth sang of the news.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYDa4Kht6Eo[/embedyt]

Did Advent season do what it was supposed to do?

Did it prepare you for the coming of the Lord? Did it help you change, maybe if it was for a day? If you haven’t thought about it think about it now.

Not only is tomorrow Christmas Eve but it’s Sunday and the last Sunday in Advent. You will receive a double dose of Blessings and Joy!  Some of you not only have Christmas Eve service but morning service. Don’t skip your morning service.

It seems when the last Sunday of Advent is also Christmas Eve the anticipation is even higher for Christmas. We tell our children to be good for goodness sake, but we can use this same advice. Use this extra opportunity to change, really change and not just because it’s Christmas.

Don’t stop doing the things you shouldn’t do, but do the things you should be doing and add love to your actions. Love those who don’t love you back. Forgive those who sin against you before they are sorry. End grudges and let go of the hurt you’re carrying.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Sheet Music


It came upon the Midnight Clear that glourious sound of old. With Angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold. Rejoice in the music of Christmas as the Lutheran Advent season comes to a close with music and lyrics of It Came Upon a Midnight ClearIt Came Upon a Midnight Clear Lyrics

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 heaven’s all gracious King!
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies, they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world hath suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

 

Weekly Advent Readings: Saturday, 3rd Week Advent

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43: 1-24:  Revelation 9: 13- 10: 11


Friday, Third Week Advent: Words to Away in a Manger Tell a Story

by

Words to Away in a Manger tell of a humble birth of the baby Jesus.The Words to Away in A Manger Celebrate a Humble Birth of Baby Jesus.

The Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus was born not in a castle, not in a palace, but a lowly stable.
The birth of the Baby Jesus was NOT attended by the rich. Mother Mary did not have ladies in waiting to bring her food and water. It was Mary and Joseph alone, in probably a cave that served as a stable for animals. They laid him in swaddling clothes in a feeding trough, off the floor on a bed of hay.
The picture of humanity in a tender scene is depicted in this tender Christmas Carol.
Children in hundreds of churches sing this simple song and it’s often the first Christmas carol they learn. In our Sunday School program, the preschool kids sing it the loudest.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur60zV6cjaE[/embedyt]
The innocent voices of these “wee little ones” are perfect for such a humble birth. The words to away in a manger remind us of humble poor beginnings come great things. Don’t judge your surroundings or where you live. Just because you were of a humble birth or poor doesn’t mean you are any less loved.
In fact, you are VERY loved. Jesus comes to you where you live to give you peace, joy and salvation.

Away in a Manger Sheet Music


Lyrics for Away in a Manger

Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Look down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
‘Til morning is nigh

Weekly Advent Readings: Friday, 3rd Week Advent

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43: 1-24:  Revelation 9: 13- 10: 11


Thursday, Third Week Advent: Once in Royal Davids City, Words to a Kings Processional

by

What Starts in a Shed, Becomes our Lord in Heaven

This is truly a traditional church Christmas hymn. It starts off slow and solemn and builds majestically to the last chorus as we welcome the birth of the baby Jesus. It is like this with Advent. The season of Advent starts off quiet, barely a whisper. But as the last week approaches the climax is in sight.

The history of “Once in Royals Davids City” dates back to 1919 when Arthur Henry Mann, an organist wrote the piece as a processional hymn for the service at Kings College Cambridge. It is still sung with a young boy singing the first verse acapella as the choir joins in the second and building to a crescendo.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT3cfXd3Shk[/embedyt]

This Christmas hymn is not as popular with contemporary artists, but when it is performed by Jonathan and Charlotte, (finalists in 2012 Britains Got Talent) the operatic version is simply breathtaking.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOqV3zdG10[/embedyt]

Once in Royal Davids City Sheet Music

Once in Royal Davids City, Words to a Kings ProcessionOnce in Royal Davids City, Words, and Music

Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed
There a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed
Mary was that mother mild
Jesus Christ her little child

He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all
And His shelter was a stable
And His cradle was a stall
With the poor, oppressed and wholly
Lived on earth our Savior holy

For He is our childhood’s pattern
Day by day like us He grew
He was little weak, and stable
Tears and smiles like us He knew
And He feels for all our sadness
And He shares in all our gladness

And our eyes
At last, shall see Him
Through His own redeeming love
For that child, so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above
And He leads His children along
To the place that He is gone

Weekly Advent Readings: Thursday, 3rd Week Advent

Today’s Reading John 20: 24 -29

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 42: 1-25:  Revelation 9: 1-12 

Wednesday, Third Week Advent: Joy to the World! Hymn of Christmas Coming

by

Joy World Hymn Joy to the World hym sings of peace and joy of the coming of the Lord.Joy to the WORLD! Hymn of Christmas coming announces the Prince of Peace!

My favorite memory of Christmas is when I played Joy to the World during Christmas Eve service with my son and daughter as part of small church orchestra.

This was a one-time event. My son was a senior. His classmate Sarah spent the year composing orchestra pieces for Christmas and Easter services as part of a senior project.  (She is now a music teacher in Western Nebraska.)

To many, this might not be a big deal. But it was. You see Trinity Lutheran is a small country church in rural Nebraska. Our congregation is less than 150 people. However, we have an amazing local school music and band program at Elmwood-Murdock High School.  About eight youth that practiced many times and never thought it would come together.

Sarah wrote parts for trumpet, tympani, bells, clarinet, saxophone, piano, organ and flute.  I played the piano.

At the start, I looked over the piano at Sara, took a breath and we began.

It was AMAZING! It was JOY to the World as the Prince of Peace filled the air with majestic song and the congregation stood and sang with JOY. Every measure was perfect, every note was hit. At the end, I turned and looked at my son, his response was simply “Wow”

Sarah and I continued to play her Joy to the World hymn piano and organ duet for many years until she married and moved away. Last year I played it just on the piano and although the congregation filled me with peace, it wasn’t the same.

This year I will be playing the same Joy to the World duet, but this time with Pastor Kuhlman. I am so looking forward to it again.

How Exciting is This?

The wonderful counselor is going to bring us peace and goodwill to men! I’ve talked about it, how Jesus Christ comes to give us peace through forgiveness of sins. No, not as the peace the world gives but eternal peace. Yes, we want peace on earth. Peace with our family, our marriages, between friends, at work, in our community and world.

But before we can have peace in our world we have to have peace between God and all of us. Imagine if people gave up their sins. Ok, that might not be possible. But we can daily give them up to Jesus and when we do that repeatably we are less likely to repeat them. Daily repentance and prayers of forgiveness to God gives us internal peace.

So JOY TO THE WORLD and Peace Be With You!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLT9dSt8cwg[/embedyt]

Weekly Advent Readings: Wednesday, 3rd Week Advent

Today’s Reading Isaiah 40: 1-11

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 40: 18-41: 10;  Revelation 8: 1-13 


Angels We Have Heard on High, Third Day on the Third Week of Advent

by

One of the Most Famous Christmas Hymns

It’s appropriate that on the third week of Advent my favorite Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard on High is on the third Day. I just LOVE this song and LOVE to play it on the piano during Christmas Eve service when the whole congregation is singing.
I could have saved this for Christmas Day and I almost did, but I love it too much. I like to listen to it during the last week of Advent leading up to Christmas.

Angels From the Realm of Glory: Piano Guys Live Nativity Performance

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELjgFKACcdQ[/embedyt]

 

I dare you not to listen and watch this performance of a Live Nativity without getting chills. The musicians from the Piano Guys teamed up with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to produce the most amazing rendition of this famous Christmas Hymns
Playlist- Angels We Have Heard on High: Third Day, Chris Tomlin & other artists
I can seriously listen to this Christmas song over and over. So I created a YouTube Playlist. Yes, I have it playing in the background as I’m writing right now. The Pentatonix version is here too, can’t leave them out. If you haven’t figured out they are also one of my favorite acapella groups.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLp3k-fAVnkqEMPPvnlOkJNm9pIMpr0VUH[/embedyt]

Angels We Have Heard on High Sheet Music

My favorite sheet music to Angels We Have Heard on High isn’t listed here. The reason why is I composed my own version from the Lutheran Hymnal. I love arpeggios and over the years I have come up with my own composition. Maybe one year I will plug in my keyboard and get it down on sheet music.
But here are a few choices. A tip, let the chorus rip! Roll with it, be confident and let it announce the birth of the baby Jesus the newborn King!!


Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Find the words to God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman and learn how it will give you comfort. Find the meaning of the pink candle of Advent? Rejoice!Lyrics: Angels We Have Heard on High 

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly, sweetly through the night
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brief delight
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Yeah
Gloria, in Excelsis Deo
Songwriters: Sufjan Stevens
Angels We Have Heard on High lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/piano-guys-angels-we-have-heard-high-lyrics.html#ixzz51vIy0BLA

Angels We Have Heard on High: Piano Guy Lyrics

Gloria, Gloria
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:
Gloria, Gloria
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, Gloria
Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Though an Infant now we view Him,
He shall fill His Father’s throne,
Gather all the nations to Him;
Every knee shall then bow down:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Weekly Advent Readings: Tuesday, 3rd Week Advent

Today’s Reading 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 40: 1-17;  Revelation 7: 1-17