How Brightly Shines the Morning Star!/Philipp Nicolai

SOURCE - Hymnary

How brightly shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
the light in Judah shining.
Thou David's son of Jacob's race,
The Bridegroom, and the King of grace,
for thee our hearts are pining!
Lowly, holy, great and glorious,
thou victorious Prince of graces,
filling all the heavenly places!

Though circled by the hosts on high,
he deigns to cast a pitying eye
upon his helpless creature;
the whole creation’s Head and Lord,
by highest seraphim adored,
assumes our very nature.
Jesus, grant us, through thy merit,
to inherit thy salvation:
hear, O hear our supplication.

Rejoice, ye heav'ns; thou earth, reply;
with praise, ye sinners, fill the sky
for this his incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth thy pow'r,
ride on, ride on, great Conqueror,
till all know thy salvation.
Amen, amen! Alleluya, alleluya!
Praise be given evermore by earth and heaven.

Coming to Christ by Henry Francis Lyte

SOURCE - Hymnary
FOR - Readings

TEXT -

1 When at Thy footstool, Lord, I bend,

And plead with Thee for mercy there,

Think of the sinner's dying Friend,

And for His sake receive my prayer.

2 Oh, think not of my shame and guilt,

My thousand stains of deepest dye!

Think of the blood which Jesus spilt,

And let that blood my pardon buy.

3 Think, Lord, how I am still Thine own,

The trembling creature of Thy hand;

Think how my heart to sin is prone,

And what temptations round me stand.

4 Oh, think upon Thy holy Word,

And every plighted promise there!

How prayer should evermore be heard,

And how Thy glory is to spare.

5 Oh, think not of my doubts and fears,

My strivings with Thy grace divine;

Think upon Jesus' woes and tears,

And let His merits stand for mine.

6 Thine eye, Thine ear, they are not dull;

Thine arm can never shortened be;

Behold me here; my heart is full;

Behold, and spare, and succor me.

The Hands That First Held Mary's Child/Thomas Troeger

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TEXT -

The hands that first held Mary’s child were hard from working wood.

From boards they sawed and planed and filed

and splinters they withstood.

This day they gripped no tool of steel, they drove no iron nail,

but cradled from the head to heel

our Lord, newborn and frail.

When Joseph marveled at the size of that small breathing frame,

and gazed upon those bright new eyes

and spoke the infant’s name,

the angel’s words he once had dreamed poured down from heaven’s height,

and like the host of stars that beamed

blessed earth with welcome light.

“This child shall be Emmanuel, not God upon the throne,

but God with us, Emmanuel, as close as blood and bone.”

The tiny form in Joseph’s palms confirmed what he had heard,

and from his heart rose hymns and psalms for heaven’s human word.

The tools that Joseph laid aside a mob would later lift

and use with anger, fear, and pride to crucify God’s gift.

Let us, O Lord, not only hold the child who’s born today,

but charged with faith may we be bold to follow in His way.

When to Our World the Savior Came

SOURCE - Hymnary.org
FOR - Readings

Text at Hymnary
https://hymnary.org/text/when_to_our_world_the_savior_came

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring / Robert Bridges

SOURCE

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,

Holy wisdom, love most bright;

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring

Soar to uncreated light.

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,

With the fire of life impassioned,

Striving still to truth unknown,

Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,

Hark, what peaceful music rings;

Where the flock, in Thee confiding,

Drink of joy from deathless springs.

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;

Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.

Thou dost ever lead Thine own

In the love of joys unknown.

Christmas / George Herbert

SOURCE

THe shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?

                My God, no hymn for thee?

My soul ’s a shepherd too; a flock it feeds

                Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.

The pasture is thy word: the streams, thy grace

                Enriching all the place.

Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers

                Out-sing the day-light houres.

Then we will chide the sunne for letting night

                Take up his place and right:

We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should

                Himself the candle hold.

I will go searching, till I finde a sunne

                Shall stay, till we have done;

A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly,

                As frost-nipt sunnes look sadly.

Then we will sing, shine all our own day,

                And one another pay:

His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine,

Till ev’n his beams sing, and my musick shine.

Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour / Frank Houghton

SOURCE

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,

All for love's sake becamest poor;

Thrones for a manger didst surrender,

Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,

All for love's sake becomes poor.

Thou who art God beyond all praising,

All for love's sake becamest man;

Stooping so low, but sinners raising

Heavenwards by thine eternal plan.

Thou who art God beyond all praising,

All for love's sake becamest man.

Thou who art love beyond all telling,

Saviour and King, we worship thee.

Emmanuel, within us dwelling,

Make us what thou wouldst have us be.

Thou who art love beyond all telling,

Saviour and King, we worship thee.