With Us— Emmanuel
Singing, reading, and listening through With Us– Emmanuel will take you slightly less than an hour (56+min).
Unlike church, however, you’ll be able to pause if the Grandkids call – or take a break, though not recommended.
Peaceful and contemplative for the most part, I hope you sense the quiet calm of His presence with you when you finish.
Have a blessed Christmas,
Incarnation: Prologue John 1.1-18
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John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.
8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”
16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant!
Oh, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels;
[Chorus]
Oh, come, let us adore him;
Oh, come, let us adore him;
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.
2. Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God,
Glory in the highest;
[Chorus]
3. Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n.
Son of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
[Chorus]
Text: Attr. to John F. Wade, ca. 1711–1786; trans. by Frederick Oakeley, 1802–1880
Music: Attr. to John F. Wade
Matthew 1.1-18
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
The First Noel
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, Noel
Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Noel, Noel,
Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Angels We Have Heard on High
Christendom College Choir & Schola Gregoninana
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Luke 2.1-20
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Listen to the Angels Singing
Listen to the angels singin’,
Listen to the angels singin’,
Singin’, “Gloria!” “Gloria!”
Who’d ever thought that a baby
would have brought the good news?
Hear the angels singin’!
Loping out across the desert,
Trudging through the shifting sand,
Peering at the constellations,
Hasten scholars from a distant land,
‘cross the sand, ‘corss the land.
Where a new star is shinin’ tonight,
Don’t you know and it’s right overhead
in sight of where the angels are singin’.
Listen to the angels singin’,
Listen to the angels singin’,
Singin’, “Gloria!” “Gloria!”
Who’d ever thought that a baby
would have brought the good news?
Hear the angels singin’!
Something’s stirring on the hillside;
Sheep are restless in the fold.
Young man stirring dying embers,
Remembers stories told him by the old in the cold,
Stories old.
Then the sky starts exploding with light
And then the night is a circus of bright shining beings,
Glory angels singin’.
Listen to the angels singin’,
Listen to the angels singin’,
Singin’, “Gloria!” “Gloria!”
Listen to the angels singin’,
Listen to the angels singin’,
Singin’, “Gloria!” “Gloria!”
Who’d ever thought that a baby
would have brought the good news?
Hear the angels singin’!
Listen to the angels singin’,
Listen to the angels singin’,
Singin’, “Gloria!” “Gloria!”
Listen to the angels singin’,
Listen to the angels singin’,
Singin’, “Gloria!” “Gloria!”
© 2001 Gaither Music Company, Mal ‘N Al Music, and Would He Write Songs. Admin.
by Gaither Copyright Management. All rights reserved.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Jack Beck – (2:53)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
Oh, come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Immanuel!
The Man and the Birds
Paul Harvey (1965)
The Man and the Birds
Author Unknown
As told by Paul Harvey
The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.
He told his wife I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve. He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.
Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.
Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.
Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.
Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in.
So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs.
The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.
And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.
He thought to himself, if only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.
At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind.
He stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.
And he sank to his knees in the snow …
Emmanuel
Hannah Kerr
Emmanuel
He was not the one we thought would come
We were looking for a King
But He didn’t come in glory
The Author of the oceans and the sun
Still he chose to be
Written in our story
So He could fill our flesh and blood
And we could know His love
Emmanuel, A manger for a bed
No crown upon His head
He came like us instead
Emmanuel, He meets you where you are
He holds your heavy heart
Our God is with us all
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
It was no mistake that He arrived
Lost without a home
Helpless as a baby
So if we’re feeling lost in our own lives
We are not alone
He has felt the same thing
Because he lived in flesh and blood
We can know His love
Emmanuel, A manger for a bed
No crown upon His head
He came like us instead
Emmanuel, He meets you where you are
He holds your heavy heart
Our God is with us all
Emmanuel
Emmanuel
Oh what an invitation
Oh His only expectation
Is for us to come and offer Him our all
To kneel before the child who shall be called
Emmanuel, a manger for a bed
No crown upon His head
He came like us instead
Emmanuel, He meets you where you are
He holds your heavy heart
Our God is with us all
Emmanuel
Emmanuel
Songwriters: Andy Gullahorn, Hannah Kerr, J. Phillips Gullahorn
Silent Night
Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Five Little Fingers
David, Callie, Maggie Beth Phelps
There was no room within the inn
When they came to Bethlehem
In a stable a baby came
Little Jesus was His name
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 little fingers on His hand
Son of God, Mary’s little man
Born in a manger, gentle as a lamb
My heart’s in the five little fingers of his hand
Jesus came to save the world
Man and woman, boy and girl
Bow before Him, give Him praise
For His goodness, count the ways
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 little fingers on His hand
Son of God, Mary’s little man
Born in a manger, gentle as a lamb
My heart’s in the five little fingers of his hand
Music video by David Phelps, Callie Phelps, Maggie Beth Phelps performing Five Little Fingers (Live). © 2018 David Phelps Concerts, Inc.
Ten Thousand Joys
Sarah Dixon | James Phillips Grace Community Church Choir & Orchestra
(This begins softly. You may wish to turn up the volume until it rebuilds)
Standing here beside the manger,
looking at this little Stranger,
Wondering if He’ll be like other boys?
Looking down across tomorrow,
knowing there will be some sorrow,
I still know He’ll bring ten thousand joys!
Ten thousand joys!
Sweet Son of God You came to me!
And my heart sings
because I know that You are mine!
In you I find ten thousand joys
—enough to last through all the years,
And joy to shine through all my tears:
Ten thousand joys!
When I am alone with Jesus,
in the quiet where no one sees us,
Or when He is with me in life’s lows,
If I speak, I know He’ll hear me
and to know that He is near me
Always bring to me ten thousand joys!
Ten thousand joys!
Sweet Son of God You came to me!
And my heart sings
because I know that You are mine!
In you I find ten thousand joys—
enough to last through all the years,
And joy to shine through all my tears:
Ten thousand joys!
I know He came from God to save us from our sins,
And that He came to set His people free.
But how was I to know when Jesus came into my life,
That God’s own Son had come to bring to me
Ten thousand joys!
Sweet Son of God You came to me!
And my heart sings
because I know that You are mine!
In you I find ten thousand joys—
enough to last through all the years,
And joy to shine through all my tears:
Ten thousand joys!
Writers: Karen Dean / Don Marsh
Publishers: Brentwood-Benson Music/Lillenas Publishing –
Arrangers: New Spring Publishing
O Holy Night
David Phelps
(This rendition also begins very softly and crescendos to a climactic ending.)
O holy night the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviors birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, o night divine
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, o night divine
Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and they will call His name Immanuel. which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” Matthew 1.23
And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds, but Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2.18-19
Silent Night
8 Cellos
