31 Days of Song, Day #17

Tonight was my church's monthly Bible memorization meeting.  I love just getting together with all those fellow followers of Christ and listening as we go over Scripture together.  There are some passages of the Bible that are made so much more beautiful when we have the knowledge that others have committed them to memory and they are being lived out.  What a blessed time it was!

"Angels We Have Heard On High" is another great Christmas song that I really enjoy.  The only thing I don't really like about it is that by the time you finish singing "Glooooooooooria" you're about to suffocate and keel over.  It's a great song overall, though.

* And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:13-14

"Les Anges dans nos Campagnes" was a French carol dating from the 1700s, which appeared in several different versions.  It was published in English in 1862, the words saying:

Angels we have heard on high / Sweetly singing o'er the plains,

And the mountains in reply / Echoing their joyous strains.

Glori, in excelsis Deo!

An older version had the title "Harken All! What Holy Singing!"  The words, translated into English, said:

Hearken, all!  What holy singing / Now is sounding from the sky!

'Tis a hymn with grandeur ringing, / Sung by voices clear and high.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Still another primitive version speaks from the shepherds' vantage point, saying:

Shepherds in the fields abiding, / Tell us when the seraph bright

Greeted you with wondrous tiding, / What you saw and heard that night.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Hymns are usually authored by human beings like us, but in this case obscure verses by unknown French poets were coupled with a refrain that was literally composed by angels in heaven: Gloria, in excelsis Deo.  that's the Latin wording for the angelic anthem "Glory to God in the highest!"  It comes from Luke 2:14 in the Vulgate, the Latin version of the Bible.  The Latin word Gloria means "glory," and in excelsis is the phrase for "in the highest".  Our English words excel and excellent come from the same root, meaning "to rise" or "to ascend" or "to be high".  The Latin word Deo means "God".

   This was the song proclaimed by the angels over Shepherds' Field the night Christ was born.  The musical score stretches out and emphasizes the words in a way that is uniquely fun to sing and deeply stirring, as we lift our voices to proclaim: Jesus has come!  Hope has arrived on earth!  A Savior is born!  Glory to God on High!  Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

* excerpt taken from Then Sings My Soul Special Edition by Robert Morgan, pages 42-43

31 Days of Song, Day #4

"Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" was written in 1744 by the great hymn writer, Charles Wesley, brother to the greater and more well-known John Wesley.  Rowland Prichard set the music to this beautiful hymn in 1830.   We sang this song in church today, and it was beautiful!  I really like this version by Christy Nockels with Chris Tomlin.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus,

born to set Thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us,

let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth Thou art;

dear desire of every nation,

joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,

born a Child and yet a King,

born to reign in us forever,

now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal spirit

rule in all our hearts alone;

by Thine all sufficient merit,

raise us to Thy glorious throne.

-- Charles Wesley 

I'm thankful for the snow we got over this weekend.  It's really beautiful.  I'm also really glad that we're not supposed to get anymore before Tuesday, which is when I have a math exam at 7:30 AM.  It's not fun driving on icy roads that early in the morning!  For now I'm glad to be inside a warm house, with Christmas decorations all around, a loving family here with me, and the knowledge that "Jesus died, my soul to save" (check out this song by Pocket Full of Rocks; beautiful!).

If you're looking for great Christmas music in a larger quantity than I've been giving it, check out Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man by Sovereign Grace.  Another awesome CD that I recently found is Music Inspired By the Story.  I think this is one of the best CDs I've ever heard. :)

looking like Your heart