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

SOURCE 
FOR - Readings

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

Come, Immanuel / Godfrey Rust

SOURCE

Come, Immanuel, God with us to be.

Come down from paradise and occupy

this dirty stable of humanity.

Come and live rough, as we do: come and die.

Come and be lonely as an orphaned child.

Come to where grief is harvested and stored.

Come to where empty agèd minds run wild.

Come to the hospice and the cancer ward.

Come, flee from tyrants as a refugee.

Come, be betrayed by those you counted friends.

Come and be tortured with no amnesty.

Come as the means to justify all ends.

Come and be broken like a Christmas toy.

Come, be completely human—then we’ll know

your sorrow may bring hope of lasting joy

and God above is God with us below.

I Cannot Tell / William Young Fullerton

SOURCE

1. I cannot tell why He Whom angels worship,

Should set His love upon the sons of men,

Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers,

To bring them back, they know not how or when.

But this I know, that He was born of Mary

When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home,

And that He lived at Nazareth and labored,

And so the Savior, Savior of the world is come.

2. I cannot tell how silently He suffered,

As with His peace He graced this place of tears,

Or how His heart upon the cross was broken,

The crown of pain to three and thirty years.

But this I know, He heals the brokenhearted,

And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,

And lifts the burden from the heavy laden,

For yet the Savior, Savior of the world is here.

3. I cannot tell how He will win the nations,

How He will claim His earthly heritage,

How satisfy the needs and aspirations

Of East and West, of sinner and of sage.

But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory,

And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,

And some glad day His sun shall shine in splendor

When He the Savior, Savior of the world is known.

4. I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,

When, at His bidding, every storm is stilled,

Or who can say how great the jubilation

When all the hearts of men with love are filled.

But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,

And myriad, myriad human voices sing,

And earth to Heaven, and Heaven to earth, will answer:

At last the Savior, Savior of the world is King!

Hymn by Timothy Dudley-Smith

SOURCE - Oremus
TEXT -

Had he not loved us
he had never come;
yet is he love
and love is all his way:
low to the mystery
of the Virgin's womb
Christ bows his glory--
born on Christmas Day.

Had he not loved us
he had never come;
had he not come
he need have never died,
nor won the victory
of the vacant tomb,
the awful triumph
of the Crucified.

Had he not loved us
he had never come;
still we were lost
in sorrow, sin and shame,
the doors fast shut
on our eternal home
which now stand open--
for he loved and came.

Every Stone Shall Cry / Robert Wilbur

SOURCE
TEXT -

A stable-lamp is lighted
Whose glow shall wake the sky;
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
And straw like gold shall shine;
A barn shall harbor heaven,
A stall become a shrine.

This child through David's city
Will ride in triumph by
The palm shall strew its branches
And every stone shall cry
And every stone shall cry
Though heavy, dull, and dumb
And lie within the roadway
To pave the Kingdom come

Yet He shall be forsaken
And yielded up to die
The sky shall groan and darken
And every stone shall cry
And every stone shall cry
For stony hearts of men
God's blood upon the spearhead
God's love refused again

But now as at the ending
The low is lifted high
The stars will bend their voices
And every stone shall cry
And every stone shall cry
In praises of the child
By whose descent among us
The worlds are reconciled.

A Morning Song for Christmas Day / Selwyn Image

SOURCE - A Book of Christmas Verse

Consider what estate of fearful woe
Had then been ours, had He refused this birth;
From sin to sin tossed vainly to and fro,
Hell's playthings, o're a doomed and helpless earth!
Had He from us witheld His priceless worth,
Consider man's estate of fearful woe!

Consider to what joys He bids thee rise,
Who comes, Himself, life's bitter cup to drain!
Ah! look on this sweet Child, whose innocent eyes,
Ere all be done, shall close in mortal pain,
That thou at last Love's Kingdom may'st attain:
Consider to what joys He bids thee rise!

Consider all this wonder, O my soul:
And in thine inmost shrine make music sweet!
Yea, let the world, from furthest pole to pole,
Join in thy praises this dread birth to greet!
Keeling to kiss thy Saviour's infant feet!
Consider all this wonder, O my soul!

What Child is this? / Traditional

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - various arrangements

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 Christians, 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 a song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Remember, O thou man / Thomas Ravenscroft

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - SATB

Remember O thou man
thy time is spent:
how thou art dead and gone,
And I did what I can,
therefore repent!


Remember Adam's fall
o thou man
From heav'n to hell!
How we were condemned all
In hell perpetual,
There for to dwell.

Remember God's goodness,
o thou man,
And promise made!
How he sent his son, doubtless
Our sins for to redress:
Be not afraid!

The angels all did sing,
o thou man,
On heav'n's high hill;
Praise to our hean'nly King,
And peace to man living,
With a good will.

In Bethlem He was born,
o thou man,
For mankind's sake;
For us that were forlorn,
And therefore took no scorn,
Our flesh to take.

Give thanks to God always,
o thou man,
with heart most joylly,
For this is our happy day,
let all men sing and say:
"Holy, Holy!"

Rolling downward, through the midnight / Robert Lowry

SOURCE - CPDL 
FOR - SATB

Rolling downward, through the midnight,

Comes a glorious burst of heav’nly song;

’Tis a chorus full of sweetness—

And the singers are an angel throng.

Refrain:

“Glory! glory in the highest!

On the earth goodwill and peace to men!”

Down the ages send the echo;

Let the glad earth shout again!

Wondering shepherds see the glory,

Hear the word the shining ones declare;

At the manger fall in worship,

While the music fills the quivering air.

Refrain.

Christ the Savior, God’s Anointed,

Comes to earth our fearful debt to pay—

Man of sorrows, and rejected,

Lamb of God, that takes our sin away.

Refrain.

Sans Day Carol (Traditional)

SOURCE - CPDL 
FOR - SATB

Now the holly bears a berry
as white as the milk,
And Mary bore Jesus,
all wrapped up in silk:
Refrain:
And Mary bore Jesus Christ
our Saviour for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood,
it was the holly. Holly! Holly!
And the first tree in the greenwood,
it was the holly!

Now the holly bears a berry
as green as the grass,
And Mary bore Jesus,
who died on the cross:

Now the holly bears a berry
as black as the coal,
And Mary bore Jesus,
who died for us all:

Now the holly bears a berry,
as blood is it red,
Then trust we our Saviour,
who rose from the dead: 

Now let us sing / Gustav Holst

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - SATB

Now let us sing with joy and mirth,

In honor of our Lordes birth,

His love and His humanity,

That gave Himself for us to die.

By Adam we were all forlorn,

But now Christ Jesus to us born,

Has freed us from captivity,

And vanquished has our enemy.

The angles sang with merriness,

Unto the shepherds more or less,

and bade them of good comfort be,

For Christes new nativity,

For Christes new nativity,

For Christes new nativity.

For you were all by sin forlorn.

This babe to you that now is born

Shall make you safe and for you die,

And you restore to liberty.

This babe for you did shed his blood,

And suffered death upon the rood,

And for His great humanity,

Exalted is His majesty.

And now He is our advocate,

He us both aire and late,

This can the scripture verify,

So far is any man is He,

So far is any man is He,

So far is any man is He.

Of the Father's love begotten / Anonymous, trans. John Mason Neale & Henry Williams Baker

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - Unison

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!

At His Word the worlds were framèd;
He commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean
In their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining
Of the moon and burning sun,
Evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion,
Death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children
Doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
In the dreadful gulf below,
Evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd,
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Saviour of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face,
evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him,
and extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert sing,
Evermore and evermore!

This is He Whom seers in old time
Chanted of 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!

Righteous judge of souls departed,
Righteous King of them that live,
On the Father’s throne exalted
None in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming
Sinners from Thy face shalt drive,
Evermore and evermore!

 Thee let old men, thee let young men,
Thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens,
With glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
And the heart its music bring,
Evermore and evermore!

Christ, to Thee with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving,
And unwearied praises be:
Honour, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory,
Evermore and evermore!

Once in Bethlehem of Judah / Charles Villiers Stanford

SOURCE - CPDL 
FOR - SATB

Once in Bethlehem of Judah,
Far away across the sea,
There was laid a little baby
On a virgin mother’s knee.

Refrain:
O Savior, gentle Savior,
Hear Thy loving children sing,
The God of our salvation,
The child that is a king.

It was not a stately palace
Where that little baby lay,
With His servants to attend Him,
And with guards to keep the way.
Refrain

But the oxen stood around Him,
In a stable low and dim;
In the world He had created
There was not a room for Him.
Refrain

For He left His Father’s glory,
And the golden halls above,
And He took our human nature,
In the greatness of His love.
Refrain

Of His infinite compassion,
He can feel our want and woe;
For He suffered, He was tempted,
When He lived our life below.
Refrain

Still He stands and pleads in Heaven,
For us, weak and sin-defiled;
God, who is a man for ever,
Jesus, who was once a child.
Refrain

In this poor stable / Charles Gounod

SOURCE - CPDL 
FOR - SATB

In that poor stable
how charming Jesus lies,
words are not able
to fathom his emprise!
No palace of a king
can show so rare a thing
in history or fable
As that of which we sing
In that poor stable.

See here God's power
In weakness fortifies
This infant hour
of Love's epiphanies!
Our foe is now despoiled,
The wiles of hell are foiled;
On earth there grows a flower
pure, undefiled, unsoiled -
See here God's power!

Though far from knowing
the babe's divinity,
mine eyes are growing
to see his majesty;
For lo! the new born child
upon me sweetly smiled,
the gift of faith bestowing;
thus I my Lord descry
Though far from knowing

No more affliction!
For God endures our pains;
in crucifixion
the Son victorious reigns.
For us the sufferer brings
salvation in his wings;
to win our souls affection
could he, the King of kings,
know our affliction?

He comes, let every heart rejoice / Joseph Key

SOURCE - CPDL 
FOR - SSB

He comes, let ev'ry heart rejoice,
Behold the sacred morn;
Be chearful and lift up your voice,
The great Messiah's born.
See the heav'nly host attending,
See the God of love descending,
Pain and sorrow to endure,
Our salvation to procure.

Within a manger there behold
The blessed infant lie;
In humble dress, not robes of gold,
No, he is born to die.
See the heav'nly host attending,
See the God of love descending,
Pain and sorrow to endure,
Our salvation to procure.

To save mankind from endless death,
The Son of God came down;
To purchase for their race on earth
A never-ending crown.
See the heav'nly host attending,
See the God of love descending,
Pain and sorrow to endure,
Our salvation to procure.

The just for the unjust to die,
O matchless love divine:
But now above the heavens high
His glories ever shine.
See the heav'nly host attending,
See the God of love descending,
Pain and sorrow to endure,
Our salvation to procure.

Hail happy morn, thrice happy we / Joseph Key

SOURCE - CPDL 
FOR - SATB

Hail happy morn, thrice happy we,
Who from our bondage are set free:
From Jesse’s line doth spring a ray,
Shall turn our darksome night to day.
Sweet Hallelujah let us sing
To God, our Saviour and our King.

Hark, a glad voice the sinner cheers,
Prepare the way, a God appears;
A God! a God! lost man to save
From hell, destruction, and the grave.
Sweet Hallelujah let us sing
To God, our Saviour and our King.

The Saviour’s come, by prophets told,
The deaf do hear, the blind behold,
The dumb do speak, the dead are rais’d,
The lame do walk, and sing his praise.
Sweet Hallelujah let us sing
To God, our Saviour and our King.

Let no dark clouds obstruct the morn
Whereon the Lord of life was born,
Let mortals join to sing his fame,
And duly celebrate the same.
Sweet Hallelujah let us sing
To God, our Saviour and our King.

Crypt Carol / Jeffrey Quick

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - SATB

This manger like a coffin, this stable like a tomb,
The resting place of Jesus, fresh from His Mother’s womb.
The swaddling clothes wind round him, the myrrh will soon be nigh.
The ever-living Son of God has come to earth to die.

Like Moses in a basket, abandoned on the strand,
He comes to lead His people up to their Promised Land.
No child of Pharoah’s daughter, He who is King on high.
It is a calloused carpenter who calms His infant cry.

The first-born sons of Egypt were struck down by the Lord,
The newborn sons of Israel mowed down by Herod’s sword.
But none shall fell this baby, sole son of Adonai,
For even those who’d murder Him must raise Him to the sky.

A fragile tender baby, a meek obedient boy,
He took on mortal limits, Death’s power to destroy.
Take courage you believers, when faced with bleakest wrong;
Since He became as weak as us, let us in Him be strong. 

Come With Glad Hearts and Voices / Giovanni Paisiello

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - SATB + descant (a cappella)

1. Come with glad hearts and voices, 
All come from far and near; 
Nature itself rejoices
And heav'nly hearts appear.
Hear the glad song of triumph,
A Saviour born today!
'Tis born along by Seraph;
Come join the happy lay.

2. Come, bring your choicest off'rings, 
And lay them at His feet; 
Preset no sinstained gath'rings
The best are scarcely meet.
Take flowers bright and handsome, 
And Ivy fresh and green, 
'Twill make your church look winsome
And please yourselves, I ween.

3. With hearts brimful of loving 
For all God's done for you, 
And minds full bent on serving
Him and your neighbor, too.
Your gifts will be well pleasing,
And precious in His sight;
Love gets its own rewarding
In doing what is right.

4. 'Twas love moved God in pleading, 
to give His only Son; 
And Jesus, interceding,
Redeeming work begun;
His Love is everlasting, 
So changeless, pure and free 
'Twas given without asking.
Take it and happy be.

A Christmas Hymn / Huub de Lange

SOURCE - CPDL
FOR - SATB, Chamber Orchestra, and Piano (Four Hands)

A stable-lamp is lighted

Whose glow shall wake the sky;

The stars shall bend their voices,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,

And straw like gold shall shine;

A barn shall harbor heaven,

A stall become a shrine.

This child through David’s city

Shall ride in triumph by;

The palm shall strew its branches,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,

Though heavy, dull, and dumb,

And lie within the roadway

To pave His kingdom come.

Yet He shall be forsaken,

And yielded up to die;

The sky shall groan and darken,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry

For stony hearts of men:

God’s blood upon the spearhead,

God’s love refused again.

But now, as at the ending,

The low is lifted high;

The stars shall bend their voices,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry

In praises of the child

By whose descent among us

The worlds are reconciled.