Midweek Praise Wednesday 22 December 2021

In the bleak midwinter
1. In the bleak mid-winter,
  frosty wind made moan,
  earth stood hard as iron,
  water like a stone;
  snow had fallen, snow on snow,
  snow on snow,
  in the bleak mid-winter,
  long ago.
2. Our God, heaven cannot hold Him,
  nor earth sustain,
  heaven and earth shall flee away
  when He comes to reign;
  in the bleak mid-winter
  a stable-place sufficed
  the Lord God almighty,
  Jesus Christ.
3. Verse sung by choir
4. Angels and archangels
  may have gathered there,
  cherubim and seraphim
  thronged the air;
  but His mother only,
  in her maiden bliss,
  worshipped the Beloved
  with a kiss.
5. What can I give Him,
  poor as I am?
  If I were a shepherd,
  I would bring a lamb;
  if I were a wise man,
  I would do my part;
  yet what I can I give Him –
  give my heart.
O Little town of Bethlehem
1. O little town of Bethlehem,
  how still we see you lie!
  Above your deep and dreamless sleep
  the silent stars go by:
  yet in your dark streets shining
  is everlasting light;
  the hopes and fears of all the years
  are met in you tonight.
2. 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.
3. 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.
See him lying on a bed of straw
1. See Him lying on a bed of straw:
  a draughty stable with an open door;
  Mary cradling the babe she bore –
  the Prince of glory is His name.
  
  O now carry me to Bethlehem
  to see the Lord appear to men –
  just as poor as was the stable then,
  the Prince of glory when He came.
2. Star of silver, sweep across the skies,
  show where Jesus in the manger lies;
  shepherds, swiftly from your stupor rise
  to see the Saviour of the world!
  
  O now carry me to Bethlehem
  to see the Lord appear to men –
  just as poor as was the stable then,
  the Prince of glory when He came.
3. Angels, sing the song that you began,
  bring God’s glory to the heart of man;
  sing that Bethl’em’s little baby can
  be salvation to the soul.
  
  O now carry me to Bethlehem
  to see the Lord appear to men –
  just as poor as was the stable then,
  the Prince of glory when He came.
4. Mine are riches, from Your poverty,
  from Your innocence, eternity:
  mine forgiveness by Your death for me,
  child of sorrow for my joy.
  
  O now carry me to Bethlehem
  to see the Lord appear to men –
  just as poor as was the stable then,
  the Prince of glory when He came.
It came upon a midnight clear
1. It came upon the midnight clear,
  that glorious song of old,
  from angels bending near the earth
  to touch their harps of gold:
  ‘Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
  from heaven’s all-gracious king!’
  The world in solemn stillness lay
  to hear the angels sing.
2. With sorrow brought by sin and strife
  the world has suffered long,
  and, since the angels sang, have passed
  two thousand years of wrong;
  for man at war with man hears not
  the love-song which they bring:
  O hush the noise, you men of strife,
  and hear the angels sing!
3. And still the days are hastening on –
  by prophets seen of old -
  towards the fulness of the time
  when comes the age foretold:
  then earth and heaven renewed shall see
  the Prince of peace, their king;
  and all the world repeat the song
  which now the angels sing.
While shepherd watched their flocks
1. While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
  all seated on the ground,
  the angel of the Lord came down
  and glory shone around.
2. ‘Fear not,’ said he - for mighty dread
  had seized their troubled mind –
  ‘Glad tidings of great joy I bring
  to you and all mankind:
3. ‘To you in David’s town this day
  is born of David’s line,
  a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
  And this shall be the sign:
4. ‘The heavenly babe you there shall find
  to human view displayed,
  all meanly wrapped
  in swaddling bands, and in a manger laid.’
5. Thus spake the angel; and forthwith
  appeared a shining throng
  of angels praising God, who thus
  addressed their joyful song:
6. ‘All glory be to God on high,
  and to the earth be peace;
  goodwill henceforth
  from heaven to men begin and never cease!’
t was on a starry night
1. It was on a starry night when the hills were bright,
  earth lay sleeping, sleeping calm and still;
  then in a cattle shed, in a manger bed,
  a boy was born, King of all the world.
  
  And all the angels sang for him,
  the bells of heaven rang for him;
  for a boy was born, King of all the world.
  And all the angels sang for him,
  the bells of heaven rang for him;
  for a boy was born, King of all the world.
2. Soon the shepherds came that way, where the baby lay,
  and were kneeling, kneeling by his side,
  to celebrate his birth bringing peace on earth;
  a boy was born, King of all the world.
Joy to the world
1. Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
  let earth receive her King;
  let every heart prepare Him room
  and heaven and nature sing,
  and heaven and nature sing,
  and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!
2. Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!
  your sweetest songs employ
  while fields and streams and hills and plains
  repeat the sounding joy,
  repeat the sounding joy,
  repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3. He rules the world with truth and grace,
  and makes the nations prove
  the glories of His righteousness,
  the wonders of His love,
  the wonders of His love,
  the wonders, wonders of His love.

In the bleak midwinter

O Little town of Bethlehem

See him lying on a bed of straw

It came upon a midnight clear

While shepherd watched their flocks

t was on a starry night

Joy to the world