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January 2007, Page 6.
Index of articles:
by subject,
by date.
In this issue:
(January 2007)
New gifts,
Welcome,
Luke,
Song,
Question.
God sent his angel
God sent his angel down to earth:
to Nazareth he came,
to give a virgin news of birth,
and Mary was her name.
"All hail to you, the Lord is near,"
he said, but she was full of fear.
"Don't be afraid, but celebrate,
for God is pleased. Don't cry!
You'll have a son: he will be great,
the Son of God Most High.
He will receive King David's throne,
and bring God near to all his own.
You are to give him the name of Jesus."
"How can it be that I should bear
a child, for I'm alone?"
"The Holy Spirit will draw near
in power from God's throne.
And so the promised Holy One
will bear the name of God's own Son."
"I am the servant of the Lord,"
she answered him that day.
"So may it be: you've brought God's word
so I'll do as you say.
In God my heart and soul rejoice
and I accept his sovereign choice.
And I will give him the name of Jesus."
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2005.
You can find the tune by following the link at the side of this page.
The aim of this Christmas carol is to include all the different aspects of what the angel said as he told Mary about what God had chosen her for. It finishes with Mary’s song of praise as she gladly accepts what he says.
As we go to press, this carol and the one in last month’s magazine are due to be sung by the choir at our Carol Service on 21st December. The service also includes the choir singing a slight variation of the words of “While shepherds watched their flocks” to a tune which wonders what it would be like if a fanfare (like the William Tell overture) broke in on the stillness of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony? And there’s a poem which Pam Gidney (author and poet) has written specially for our service.
The service also includes traditional carols and the lessons from St Luke’s Gospel which tell the story of the birth of Jesus and the impact on Elizabeth, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna ... remember who they all are?
John Hartley