Today I'm inspired by a post at RevGals: Those Stanzas Nobody Knows. Like the writer of that post, I'm disappointed when we only get to sing a couple of stanzas of hymns and carols because often the text of the lesser known stanzas carry the most meaning. As far as I'm concerned, the more congregational singing the better!
Here are my favorite verses from familiar Christmas Carols often omitted in worship that I wish were included.
From O Come, O Come Emmanuel:
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
From Once In Royal David's City:
Not in that poor lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
We shall see him but in heaven
Set at God's right hand on high
Where like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around
From O Little Town of Bethlehem:
Where children pure and happy
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee,
Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee,
Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.
From O Come All Ye Faithful:
Child, for us sinners
Poor and in the manger,
We would embrace thee, with love and awe;
Who would not love thee,
Loving us so dearly?
From Joy To The World:
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
From O Holy Night:
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wise men from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wise men from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend
Gentle Readers, what are your favorite carol or hymn verses that nobody knows?
7 comments:
I like all the choruses to What Child Is This? It seems that we usually only repeat the first one.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
That's a great choice, Robin! Love that carol, too.
That verse of O Come, all Ye Faithful makes me cry every time I hear it.
It's interesting... in our current hymnal (Evangelical Lutheran Worship - "the cranberry book") those verses for O Little Town of Bethlehem and O Come All Ye Faithful aren't even included.
Now I want to look back in our hymnals and see which edition started leaving them out!
thanks for adding to the conversation!
NFH
One of my favorites is "Brightest and Best
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid
Star of the east the horizon adorning
Guide where our infant redeemer is laid
Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all
Say shall we yield Him in costly devotion
Odors of Edom and offerings divine
Gems from the mountain and pearls from the ocean
Myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine
Vainly we offer each ample oblation
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure
Richer by far is the heart's adoration
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor
I really like John Fischer's arrangement on "Still Life".
Alan
Portland
I have always appreciated the historically dated, but moving, verses from Longfellow's "I heard the bells on Christmas Day" that refer to the American Civil War which was raging at the time of its writing
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
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