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 Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows
put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Key of David, come
and open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that
leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Words from the Liturgy of St. James, 13th century plainsong
What child is this,
who, laid to rest,
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet
with anthems sweet,
While shepherds
watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard
and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear;
For sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through;
The cross be borne for me, for you:
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary
So bring him incense,
gold, and myrrh;
Come, peasant, king, to own him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
the virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary.
Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echo back their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be,
Which inspire your heav'nly 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.
Sleep baby Jesus
close your weary eyes
Hide yourself in faithful dreams
before your live your life
Slip away to heaven and
rest in gentle peace
Never to forsake you
the Lord your soul to keep.
'Cause your feet will walk on water
your eyes will pierce the dark
Your heart will save the souls of men
your hands will bear the scars.
Sleep baby Jesus for now your time has come
To heal the wounded leper
to calm the raging storm
With perfect steps of perfect grace
you leave behind your fear
And walk along these dusty roads
though your fate is clear.
'Cause your feet walk on water
your eyes pierce the dark
Your heart will save the souls of men
your hands will bear the scars.
Sleep baby Jesus
my Father and my child
Beneath this cross of broken sin
stained with men's denial
And though you now are breathless
with thorns upon your head
Your body has been broken
so your children can be fed.
'Cause your feet have walked on water
your eyes have pierced the dark
Your heart has saved the souls of men
your hands now bear the scars.
And your feet have walked on water
your eyes have pierced the dark
Your heart has saved the souls of men
your hands now bear the scars.
Words and music by Bebo Norman
©2007 Appstreet Music/New Spring (ASCAP)
Away in a manger no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus
lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus
asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing
the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus
no crying he makes.
I love thee Lord Jesus
look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle
till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children
In thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven,
To live with thee there.
Tenderly these wounds you tend,
Though I'm stubbornly defending,
this proud heart you humbly mend
Patiently this child you lead,
Though I wander and I falter,
you restore me when I'm weak
In your gentle condescension,
you have come and knelt beside
You have taken on the burden
that was mine
In your powerful compassion,
in your glorious restraint
You prove your strength.
Though King of kings a Servant still
As you bore upon your shoulders,
all my guilt upon that hill
Though angels you could
charge to fight
You endured the curse of sinners,
as your final breath you sighed
In your gentle condescension,
you have come and knelt beside
You have taken on the burden
that was mine
In your powerful compassion,
in your glorious restraint
You prove your strength
And I find my strength
Heavy-laden I have come,
wearied by the fear
that I am not the perfect son
You call to me and bid me rest,
take this weight from off my chest,
And I find relief.
In your gentle condescension,
you have come and knelt beside
You have taken on the burden
that was mine
In your powerful compassion,
in your glorious restraint
You prove your strength
And I find my strength in you
Words and music by Luke Calvin
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;
With th'angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."
Christ by highest heav'n adored,
Christ, the Everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th' Incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."
Hail, the heav'n born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Ris'n with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."
Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Felix Mendelssohn
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