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Christmas: O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord

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 Christmas is Here! Christ the Lord is Born Today

“And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12)

Rejoice and be glad! Sing, choirs of Angels, sing in exultation! It’s Christmas and Christ the Lord, born as baby Jesus has been born today. God’s own Son in the flesh to come live among us. Heaven and earth have touched. God and man are united together in the person of Jesus, born of Mary on Christmas day

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcJYW1oN6fw[/embedyt]

Christ the Savior is born. Not Christ the judge or enforcer. Christmas is the day that exclaims that God is not just “out there”, but He is here with us, amongst us. Immanuel, meaning God with us. God in the flesh.

That is still true today. You will find Him at the baptismal font, in the Last Supper during communion, in the Word spoken by the pastor during the Gospel and throughout the Divine Service. He is found here on earth on those who hold Jesus in their heart.

He demonstrates His love through his people who give their gifts to those around them. Christ the Lord is inside the hearts of caregivers, Mothers, Fathers, teachers, doctors, police officers and all those who remember the love and forgiveness given through grace.

Merry Christmas!

O Come All Ye Faithful Sheet Music


O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord is Born today!! Celebrate Christmas with this popular Christmas hymn O Come All Ye Faithful. Find lyrics, sheet music and more.O Come All Ye Faithful Lyrics

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!
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Sing, choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above
Glory to God
In the highest!
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be glory giv’n
Word of the Father,
Now in the flesh appearing
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

List of Christmas Carols and Hymns

I hope you have enjoyed Advent Season and my daily reflections. I didn’t know if I would be able to complete the series and I’m glad I did.

Below is a list of Christmas carols and hymns which I specifically wrote about and provided lyrics and sheet music.

Prepare the Royal Highway

Playlist: Hymns for Advent Season

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Hymn

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman

Angels We Have Heard on High

Joy To The World

Once in Royal Davids City

Away in a Manager

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Silent Night

O Come All Ye Faithful

While I wrote each Advent devotion I listened to hymns and Christmas carols in the background. Many times looping my playlist for inspiration. Here is my YouTube Christmas Carol playlist with some of my favorite renditions. Many of them didn’t make it on the list above. It was difficult to decide which one to pick for each day. You can listen to my entire set here on YouTube

Enjoy and have a VERY Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Readings

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

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

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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

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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


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

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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 


Monday, Third Week Advent: Words to God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman Give Comfort

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Comfort and Joy

Tidings of Comfort and joy! It’s a Christmas carol, but the word to God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman is also a theme for Advent. Listen to the word of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Pentatonix and really listen.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku7ohU1IGls[/embedyt]

“Comfort, comfort, my people” (Isaiah 40:1)

I’ve talked about how going to church gives me comfort, how Jesus is a great Almighty counselor and today is all about comfort.

I teach Sunday school, right now it’s 4th-6th grade and it’s a wonderful age to teach. They are beyond coloring (sometimes) and starting to get into some deep questions. During my 25 years of teaching Sunday School, there have been few things more satisfying than seeing that look on a child’s face when they truly understand your lesson.

When you let go of your sins, give them to Jesus, ask for forgiveness it gives you COMFORT. Really, it does.

To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray…

Satan would like you to hang on to your sin, make it a burden, weigh on your heart every day. I know, it’s hard to grasp. So I’ll do what I do to my Sunday School kids. Apply a “real life example”.

Thou Shall Not Covet: You want more money, you chase money, you “need” more money, you worry about it, stress about it, and it can physically cause you harm in high blood pressure and a heart attack. This is personal for me. I recently started working from home, we have had financial challenges. Instead of stressing about what I don’t have, I concentrate on what I have. It does no good to want a vacation, lust for that new car, new furniture, or desire a big screen TV.

It’s easy to go “astray” from what we “NEED”.

Lutheranism is all about the comforting of troubled consciences! In Christ, God wants to forgive everyone. He wants to give you comfort.

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? How do the words "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" give comfort this Advent and Christmas seasonComforting Words: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”

Read the words “God rest ye merry gentleman” and listen to the Christmas hymn, take in their meaning and how it fits into your life this Christmas.

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s pow’r
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Fear not then, said the Angel
Let nothing you affright
This day is born a Savior
Of a pure Virgin bright
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s pow’r and might
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Songwriters: Grace Price / Robert Lee Black
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Weekly Advent Readings: Monday, 3rd Week Advent

Today’s Reading Isaiah 40: 1-11

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 34: 1-2, 8-35: 10 Revelation 6: 1-17