Tag: advent

What Child is This?!

Karla Lees

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.

Today we celebrate the child born to us, for us: Jesus!

We join with all who have gone before us who also believed the Good News when we add our voices to those of the angels and sing His praises.

Not just as Christmas time, but especially now.

There have been many moments in history where I believe the angels have sung God’s praises in adoration and awe at His creative might, but possibly none as mind boggling as that night.

The King over everything seen and unseen, full of all power, wisdom and majesty, born as a humble baby in the unlikeliest of situations:

Born to a Virgin,
step son to a carpenter,
arriving away from home,
wrapped in the same swaddling clothes that are used in burial services,
with angels, shepherds and wise men coming to offer what they had to their newborn King.

What a sight that would have been to behold live!

Yet despite the time delay, the Word recorded this snapshot of miraculous history in the collection of His Words for us, so we too can wonder at the marvels of His plan.

God with us.
God one of us.
God tangible.
God touchable.
God’s love on live display!

I have enjoyed taking a closer look at some of the traditional and newer carols as Christmas drew near.

It has confirmed for me that what, rather Who, I really need to take a closer look at tends to stay only a baby in the manger if we aren’t careful to see Him as the whole King He really is.

For God with us is the One and the same Messiah who saved our sins, Christ who died for our sins on the cross, and triumphant King who rose again!

May the echo of all He is resonate and resound through the world, and overflow out of the love and appreciation we have for the One we receive with open hearts!

He is born, hallelujah!

image

Historical Background:

This wonderful Carol was written in William Chatterton Dix in 1865, and is sung to the beautiful Greensleeves folk tune arranged by John Stainer, which was first referred to in 1580s.

While Shepherds Watched…

Karla Lees

While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around

God decided to let the lowly know before the mighty that Good News was just around the corner in the Christmas story.

Notice the angel didn’t show up again in the Holy of Holies as He did with Zechariah, father of John, but the King of Kings was announced to a humble group of shepherds with all the fanfare of celebration you would come to expect from a statesman with might and power!
“

Fear not,” he said,
For mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind,
To you and all mankind.”

And like most of us, when we see something of beauteous wonder, we tremble with fear.

Those shepherds were no different than us in their immediate reaction, but the carol reminds us to focus on the message, so we don’t miss the Good News!

“To you in David’s
Town this day
Is born of David’s line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign
And this shall be the sign.”

“The heavenly Babe
You there shall find
To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped
In swathing bands
And in a manger laid
And in a manger laid.”

Here is the best part of this carol in my opinion….

The shepherds were not only told the prophecy of Messiah was coming true, but where to find Him!

And He was in their midst, within arms reach! 

Thus spake the seraph,
And forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song
Addressed their joyful song

“All glory be to
God on high
And to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth
From heaven to men
Begin and never cease
Begin and never cease!”

Not only have these shepherds just heard the Good News live from an angel, with directions of how to meet their Messiah, they are then treated to a wonder no one else recorded in the Word has ever enjoyed – a heavenly chorus of angels singing Gloria!

For not even the angels can keep from offering God His due for the arrival of Jesus. Emmanuel, God with us. The Messiah promised through the ages, present with His people.

May we too continue to proclaim the Good News this Christmas to a world full of people who need to see the Light in all His wonder!

image

Historical Background:

This carol was written in 1703 by Nahum Tate (poet in residence to Queen Anne) and Nicholas Brady. This was one of the first paraphrased pieces from Scripture outside of the psalms to be sung in the Church of England.

Born is the King

Karla Lees

Born unto us this day a Saviour
Gifted from heaven to a manger
The hope of the world
A light for all mankind
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmas time

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise, it’s Christmas!
Born is the King, rejoice in the day! It’s Christmas!
Make a joyful sound, it’s Christmas!
Let His praise resound – it’s Christmas!

image

There are many newer Christmas songs which have hit the market over the years…and this is a newer one by Hillsong which appeals to all ages.

For young and old are all bound to share the best news at the tops of their lungs, aren’t they?

Of all the kings ever of earth, only one was a King before He was born on earth.

Jesus stepped out of His Kingship to sleep in a Manger.

God with us, now one of us.

I can only imagine the stunned silence in heaven when Jesus disappeared in one second then reappeared in Mary’s womb.

No wonder the angels decided to give a heavenly show that night of Wonder!

And if Jesus had come today, I believe their song might have sounded a little like this new Carol from Hillsong.

Upbeat, with reverence yet joy filled wonder at what was unveiling before their, and our, eyes!

It is only four days from when we traditionally celebrate His arrival, this King being born to Mary & Joseph, a humble couple who served God with everything they had, despite their own misgivings at being chosen.

The Hope for the world born at Christmas time.

That, my friends, is a song worth singing over, and over, and over!

#praiseHymn

Sunday Psalm: Prince of Peace

Karla Lees

Into the storms of my life
You enter
with a mighty roar
You announce to the heavenlys
the Prince of Peace
has arrived
yet in all Your might
You speak
with such love
and care
right when i need You
the most

The wonder of it all
lies not in Your might
but in Your heart
for even though
humanity bungled the path
You made a way
through time and space
to bring us back to You
the Prince of Peace
comes not only to save
but to restore
and make us whole again.

The Gift of Christmas
set on display
the heart of God
the Prince of Peace
the wonder of God with us
for all the world to see
forevermore!

image

If you too need a reminder of what the Prince of Peace came to do for you, visit the gospel of Matthew, and watch the video by Hillsong United here.

See Amid the Winter’s Snow

Karla Lees
image
this carol in the hymnal I sang it from this past Sunday night!

See amid the winter’s snow
Born for us on earth below
See the tender Lamb appears
Promised from eternal years

Hail, thou ever-blessed morn
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

I have two favorite ways I love to experience this carol.

The first is to sing it live. The hair raising wonder I get from the chorus stirs me each and every time I proclaim Him born.

But the second? Hearing Annie Lennox sing it in the way I only dreamed it could be sung.

A slice of heaven here on earth.

There are moments when we are struck dumb with wonder, and hearing this song on her latest Christmas album was one of them.

Because I know (last time I heard) that she is not a believer.

And she, along with many hundreds of other artists, record these carols on their Christmas albums, proclaiming the newborn King to be born.  Even though they don’t personally believe it.

Somehow, the wonder of who He is has leaked into the songs He has gifted to His people, and the world continues to proclaim Him despite not intimately knowing Him.

This only serves to reflect our humanity, doesn’t it?  How many times has someone spoken the expected response, when you know they don’t believe it for themselves?

We can be the same when it comes to our worship.

These words contain the Word Himself, and with His birth, we too are born anew, remade as His Beloved.

We are to enter the Christmas story, not as observers, but as part of the heavenly chorus proclaiming His arrival and kingship!

Today, if you hear one of the familiar carols, tune your mind to sing or hum along as your act of worship.  Savor the moment, even if you are standing in line for a gift or in the coffee shop taking a sip of sanity.

image

Historical Background:
“See Amid the Winter’s Snow” was first published in England in 1871 under its alternate name “Hymn for Christmas Morn.” Words by Edward Caswell, music by Sir John Goss.

grieving through Christmas

Karla Lees

I am shockingly breaking with my theme of “Praising Hymn through Christmas Carols of the Ages” today, for I feel lead to share this with you.  May what He has stirred up in my heart touch yours as His love flows through these words. xo

Christmas became a hard season for me with the unexpected loss of my hubby’s sister a few years ago, adding to losing his father & my grandparents.

I wasn’t expecting it.

I have noticed that we talk alot about the cheer, the bright and the merry, but not about how to keep our eyes fixed on the light when we feel full of woe, heavy or weary.

I get how hard the year of firsts, seconds and thirds can be. I read somewhere the first three years after a major loss are necessary to grieve through when love has been lost.

This is the first year I have beheld the wonder of His Presence at Christmas again far outweigh the loved ones I still miss.

God gets it too. He purposefully gave up His Beloved son so we could know just how much He loves us.

Nothing that happens to you, seen and unseen, goes unnoticed by God. Your lows as much as your highs catch His heart, and turn His eyes to you.

A few strong godly men I know are facing the loss of their mothers this Christmas. Likewise, a few girlfriends are grieving the loss of their spouses who left them this year. You too may be struck with sudden unexpected loss. I get it, and I hurt along side you.

May I remind you He loves you dearly?

My prayer for you is for Him to draw close to you as only He can right in the middle of your grief.

Nothing’s wasted in His Kingdom. Ever.

There is a purpose greater than you may be able to sense right now. Lean in, trust Him to hold on tight and let Him carry you through.

He’s got you covered with His love, and will never let you go.

Each and every tear you shed in your private grief? He bottles like a precious wine.

For everything, absolutely everything, that matters to you matters to Him. Always.

#grievingthroughChristmas

image
image by Dayspring Cards.

Rejoice & be merry

Karla Lees

Rejoice and be merry
in songs and in mirth!
O praise our Redeemer;
all mortals on earth!
For this is the birthday
of Jesus our King,
Who brought us salvation,
His praises we’ll sing!

With the announcement of the season of Christmas, many of us first think of all the extra tasks or jobs we have associated with what is to be one of the most joyous occasions of the year.

Instead of focusing on the wonder wrapped about the miracle Christmas is.

It took a death, then a birth to restore my vision.

My sister in law passed away suddenly at the beginning of winter a few years ago, and the weight of grief hung heavy over my heart.  I knew we were to be celebrating Jesus has come, but all I could feel was the loss.

I allowed it to overshadow the gain.

For Jesus isn’t just a gift doll we pull off of the shelf each Christmas, playing with him for a bit then putting him away with the other ornaments until the next.

He is the gift itself.

He is Present.
He is Love.
God with us, through it all.

One of my coworkers had a baby the next Christmas, and the excitement His arrival brought into my heart made me realize the miracle of God coming to us as one of us.

But the story doesn’t just stop with His birth.

It begins.

This Christmas, choose to rejoice.

Not because you have to, but because you choose to.

You may be under the weight of loss, pain, weariness.

He knows, and He came to join you right where you are at.

Not in the castle of the rich and famous, but in the humble shed of a working man, surrounded by the works of his hands.

To a woman who’s priority was serving God before all else. Her reputation, her engagement, her family ties.

To a man who although he started off shaking with doubt, came through when she needed him most.

Love was the undercurrent of the Christmas story, and the story He is continuing to write in our lives.

For the sky may be dark and the fog blocking our sight, but He is there to lovingly guide us as He Himself is our Light.

Because He never lets us go, we can rejoice.

Because He is always with us, we can be merry.

Because of who He is, we can always have a song to sing in praise!

image

Historical Background:
This carol is also referred to as the Gallery Carol, one of the traditional pieces sung by many choirs in their church galleries before the invention of the organ, in the early 19th century. It is believed to have been written in the 18th century, and is considered to be a Dorset Carol.

Joy to the World

Karla Lees

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing….
the wonders of His love!

This season is meant to be a shining beacon of hope to a weary world spinning in darkness.

Joy entered the world.

Not only does Jesus represent God’s love in His very essence, He is infused with joy.

You see, God not only loved everyone He created, He enjoys them!

That includes you, and me!

No one is left out.

He takes sheer delight in you, and enjoys your company, because you’re you. And He loves you for it!

Instead of His people holding back and speaking only through tradition, God broke through the barrier between us. He ripped the veil separating Heaven and earth, and entered the story as a living breathing physical man. Fully God wrapped in humanity.

Because He wanted to get as close to you as He could, to make you sit up and notice Him, feel His love for you, know His joy at being near you.

This beloved Christmas carol captures the majesty of God with us, the miracle of God one of us and the mind glowing joy we can have when we accept His gift, His Presence in and with us, always.

Heaven and earth unite to sing of this wonder.

He enjoys His people. For love’s sake, so much so He, our Creator, became one of His own creations to give us the fullness of that love right where we were, are at.

The enemy may be whispering how terrible you were for yelling at your kids last night, or shaming you for something you didn’t do or forgot.

Love is reminding you He is with you.

Your bank account may look smaller than usual, the illness ahead seem insurmountable, your loved one gone on ahead being missed beyond words.

Love is waiting to refill you with the hope and joy of the season.

For this season, Christmas?

Its not dependant upon you or I to become a reality.

It already has!

Because of His love, we have God with us.

It’s sign, sealed and delivered, this gift beyond time and space. And yours, forever.

So regardless of what is happening about you, you can have joy.

For Love came down at Christmas time not only to restore us to Him but for us to enjoy one another, as love tends to do when you draw near to the One you adore.

Joy to the World!
Jesus is born!

Our Carol of truth, love and joy, forevermore!

image

Historical Background:

Joy to the World’s music and lyrics were written by Isaac Watts in 1719. It is amazing to me that this piece still sounds like it has just been written by every generation that sings it. I truly believe it is one of the songs we will forever sing when we move Home one day!

Coventry Carol

Karla Lees

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullayb

The days in which God determines Jesus was to arrive here on earth were tremulous ones.

Great political unrest, overtaxing, long hard days forced to serve ‘landlords’ not of your choosing. Revolution was constantly simmering when it wasn’t breaking out against the oppressors.

God’s people were crying out for their Messiah.

When Herod began the slaughter of all the boy children of Israel in the hopes of destroying the newborn King, many families were suddenly grieving and wailing and grieving over the sudden loss of their children.

For you know who hoped to stop God in His tracks, in a feeble attempt to undermine His will, but a very costly one to those left with empty arms and wounded hearts.

Many likely thought all hope was lost.

And into that exact time and place, God chose to deliver His people through Jesus, soon to be delivered into the world as one of His people, as well as His Beloved son.

God did not let the madness of one fearful king halt the delivery method He was choosing to set His people free.

We know that God has always heard the cries of His people for deliverance, and mourned with them over their losses. The Bible is full of true life stories of His rescues.

If you are empty armed, missing your loved one, whether they have passed on or are on the other side of the country or world?

God hears your pain and lament.

I believe this song must have been written by someone who lost a child, and was horrified by reading the account of Herod killing an entire generation of boys.

We all should be, for God was horrified by it as well.

So full of compassion for His people, He sent His Son to us, to give us a beacon of Hope we could reach out and touch.

Because our God is the God of all comfort, justice, hope and compassion.

He couldn’t turn away from the cries of the brokenhearted. The frustrated. The poor. The exhausted. The empty armed. Those grieving. Those without hope.

This Christmas, if you hear this song of lament, be reminded of His compassion.

Each person ever in history has mattered to Him.

Those you have lost or had taken from you included.

Jesus came as one of the weakest to show us that weakness does not mean God cannot use you.

He came as one of us to show us that God understands the frailties of humanity first hand.

He came as an expression of God’s great love for each and every one of us.

And is right there beside us when we are hurting, feeling lost, wavering in our hope, and needing a God would can reach out and hold us as we lament.

So if you need to cry this Christmas, for it isn’t the holiday you thought it would be?

Allow Him to rock you in His loving arms as you lament.

God came right smack dab in the middle of turmoil to be there with us, for us, as one of us.

That same Love has not changed, and never will.
image

Historical Background:

This lyrics for this piece were written in 1534 for a Christmas pageant by Robert Croo, the composer is still unknown, but believed to be in the early 1500’s.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Karla Lees

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

We can have rest because Jesus was born.

Shocking, isn’t it?

That the birth of a child can turn your whole world upside down?

If you are a parent, as we chatted about yesterday, you know it’s true.

But if that baby is God Himself, tucked into human form, supernaturally growing in a virgin’s womb, announced by a choir of angels to some of the lowest of the community, born in a stable?

You know miracles are going to happen. They are in His very DNA.

So like God, we can rest after creation.

Jesus came as part of God’s plan to restore, make right what was broken in the garden.

To remind us God hadn’t & hasn’t forgotten about us.

Jesus always was part of His story for reaching His people.

And because God is with us?

We can be merry for the Good News has come.

We can also rest, knowing we are not alone, and God has done all the work to make the way Home for us.

If this is a hard Christmas for you, missing your loved ones, or Christmas’ past, take comfort and joy.

The One we have been waiting for has come. He will always come to those He loves, Beloved.

Rest in that truth today!
image