This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
In a world in need of joy
In a world in need of joy
In a world in need of joy,
in a land in occupation,
in a proud but fallen nation
was born a little boy:
but his coming was unnoticed
by many in his day:
he was laid, with the remotest,
in a stable in the hay.
In a world in need of hope,
to a people in oppression
there was born the one expression
of Love which helps us cope.
For his coming is the token
that God has heard our cry.
In this baby God has spoken
and assured us he is nigh.
In a world in need of love
we pretend we're getting better
but in fact we're often fettered
by ills we can't improve.
Could this baby bring solutions
to problems of mankind,
stilling wars and revolutions
and reforming heart and mind?
In a world in need of grace,
Christ proclaimed the living gospel,
which was spread by his apostles
and shared with every race.
Those who trusted found salvation
and freedom from their sin,
and it changed their motivation
bringing hope and joy within.
To my heart that needs release,
come Lord Jesus to my table;
as you entered once a stable
and brought mankind your peace.
Come, Lord Jesus, by your Spirit,
be born again in me:
for without you I've no merit,
but with you I can be free.
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2007.
Story behind the song
I wrote this song with the themes of Christmas in mind. Christ came to a world which was very similar to ours, yet we mostly discount the possibility that he may be able to help us at our point of need. We're not very different from those people of 2000 years ago, and therefore our lives could be transformed the same way he transformed those who first followed him ... if we invite him to do so.
I'm very grateful to Dave Davis, a fellow-member of Christian Songwriting Organisation, for a critique on the words of this song which have helped me improve them.
John Hartley.
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.