Skip to main content

Joseph's Song: It's Christmas Day

I'm working on my Christmas Eve service where as we sing through lessons and carols we will set out the pieces of the nativity. Finding songs for shepherds and angels is easy, but I'm not sure we have hymns about Joseph? I have sent this proposal to my musicians to see what they think:

To the tune of “I have decided to follow Jesus” (#39 in Sing and Rejoice)

I have decided to follow Jesus 3x
No turning back, No turning back




It's Christmas Day


God came down as a little baby
It’s Christmas day, it’s Christmas day


Heaven’s Angel announced to Joseph
He’s coming soon, He’s coming soon


Mary’s husband adoptive father
It’s Christmas day, it’s Christmas day


Wrapped in cloth put in a manger
The baby laid, the baby laid


Royal Bethehem City of David
It’s Christmas day, it’s Christmas day


Left flocks and fields to pay him homage
The Shepherds Came, The Shepherds Came


Imannuel our God is with us
It’s Christmas day, it’s Christmas day

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My body has forgotten how to cry

My body has forgotten how to cry. I mean, I regularly tear up, I’m not a monster. But to cry, actually let the tears slip down my cheeks, sob, any actual catharsis, no. I cried at the beginning of last summer. It was the last day my family was worshipping at the church where we had attended for 11 years, where I had been the youth pastor, where my girls were born, with the people who rebuilt my house after the fire . It was also the last Sunday some of our best friends would be there. They were moving to Iowa. I cried from the moment worship began and all through the carry-in meal. I cried as I told them, “Thank you for allowing me to help raise your children and for helping me to raise mine.” That was the last time. Before that, I cried twice in the fall of 2018: both pretty intense circumstances. But, generally, the tears don’t come. They ball into a painful pressure at the top of my sternum. (Yes, I am aware that’s the heart chakra.) The world feels like it’s falling down. I have n

Exodus 17 Readers’ Theatre

The OT scripture this week for Lent 3 Year A is the beginning of Exodus 17. The Israelites are thirsty and need to drink water after all the manna they have eaten in Exodus 16. The amount of dialogue in this text lends itself easily to an interactive reading. Narrator : The Israelites left the western Sinai desert. They traveled all together from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim (ref-i-deem) -- a resting place, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they turned against Moses and started arguing with him. Congregation : “Give us water to drink.” Moses : “Why do you bicker with me? Why are you testing the Lord?” Narrator : But the people were very thirsty, so they grumbled against Moses. Congregation : “Why on earth did you bring us out of Egypt? Did you bring us out here so that we, and our children, and our cattle will all die without water?” Moses : “Lord, what can I do with these people? They are ready to kill me.” The Lord : “Go before t

Junior High Snow Camp

The last weekend in January, Abby and I attended Junior High Snow camp at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp. Mennonite Church of the Servant was the only church that managed to bring 100% of our Jr Youth. We combined with Bethel College Mennonite Church and Zion Mennonite Church to help make the sponsor numbers per gender work out. The 14 of us rode on a charter bus organized by Whitestone in Hesston. All 56 seats were occupied. This gave our Kansan kids--many of whom know each other from Mennoscah-- a 10 hour opportunity to connect before camp. Overall, retreat attendance was around 90 youth and sponsors-- roughly ⅔ Kansans and ⅓ Coloradans. A few takeaways from the trip: I thoroughly enjoyed the bus ride to camp. Upon arrival, I told my friend how much I love middle-schoolers and that surely there is something wrong with me. Electronic devices were allowed on the bus, but completely banned during our mountain time--there’s no reception or wifi anyway. I did not hear a single compl