in-feast-or-fallow
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This Is The Christ
I wrote this melody for Martin Luther’s hymn in December, just before Christmas last year. It is clearly an advent meditation (Lk 2:9-11), but subtle enough musically to live among the other hymns on this album, helping to tell the whole story. The reality that God came to be with us as a baby re-orients our reality. The promised Savior, does not arrive in the pomp and circumstance we expected. And this happening is not something that could be merely relegated to one slice of the church calendar. So here on the album, it is drawn into the middle of the narrative.
Lyrics
V1: Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing
To us this day a child is given
To crown us with the joy of heaven
Chorus: This is the Christ, our God and Lord
Who in all need shall aid afford
He will himself our Savior be
And from our sins will set us free
V2: All hail, thou noble guest this morn
Whose love did not the sinner scorn
In my distress thou come’st to me
What thanks shall I return to thee?
Chorus
V3: Were earth a thousand times as fair
Beset with gold and jewels rare
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for thee
Praise God upon his heavenly throne
Who gave to us his only son
For this his hosts on joyful wing
A blessed New Year of mercy sing.
Chorus
“THIS IS THE CHRIST” words by MARTIN LUTHER music by SANDRA MCCRACKEN © 2010 Drink Your Tea Music (ASCAP). Admin by SIMPLEVILLE, inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
