“Mary, Did You Know?”

There are some songs with words and music so personally significant, I still remember the first time I heard them. Mary, Did You Know? was a song I heard sung by a small vocal ensemble at the water’s edge of a town harbor during an outdoor Christmas celebration over ten years ago. The lyrics and […]

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“Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming”

Music is one of the most wonderful aspects of the Christmas season.  The songs of hope, joy and love span centuries and countries, and when we sing these words or listen to these carols, we join with other believers who in other times and in other places worshiped God with the same music. “Lo, How […]

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Messiah!

When I was growing up we attended a church with a large music program, and I first sang in a choir as a young child. In December our minister of music had all the choirs sing the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah. The adult choir was at the front of the church behind the ministers, […]

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Dawn of Joy

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 – Into the devastation of our world came the God-man Jesus […]

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“The Kingdoms Of Our Lord & Of His Christ”

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15 KJV – The words of the “Hallelujah” chorus in Handel’s Messiah are from Revelation 19:6, 16; […]

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And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, […]

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Journey to Bethlehem

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son…. Galatians 4:4a – God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son… Hebrews 1:1-2 – God spoke through the prophet Malachi […]

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“Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour”

– For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 – The lyrics of “Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour” were written in China by Frank Houghton, an Englishman.  […]

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“Joy to the World!”

“Joy to the World” is one of my favorite Christmas carols. The words are based on Psalm 98, and it is one of the more than 600 hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748).1 Watts wrote the hymn, however, not about the First Advent of Christ, but about His Second. “Joy to the World” was in […]

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