Carols 2016
Songs written by church members for the Carol Service on December 18 2016
Christmas lullaby: Imogen Rhodes
The starlight shines on that lowly stable bare.
See the new-born babe, our saviour lying there.
A child of God and a child of man,
sleeps to his mother’s lullaby.
Chorus
Lula –a-ay thou tiny child. Take my love with you tonight.
Lula-a-ay thou tiny child. I’ll stay with you through the storms.
The shepherds came in awe and holy fear,
The wise men came with gifts of gold and myrrh.
A star that lead to the manger side,
To see the King where he did lie.
A story starts on a Christmas morn,
A story that ends with death on Calvary.
Covenant new is built that day,
Love has won and death has lost its sway.
A song that echoes as the years go by,
For each child that’s born in need, pain and fear.
The Christ child’s love and his promise true
Gives hope and faith in life anew.
Imogen Rhodes © 2016
Rejoice, rejoice: Ben Rhodes
Chorus:
Rejoice, rejoice the Lord is here, Rejoice, rejoice a son is born
Rejoice, rejoice the saviour reigns, let all the earth be singing
Born of Mary in a lowly stable,
Ass and oxen there, standing by.
Laid in manger on that Christmas morning
To be King of us all and give us peace.
Shepherds hurry there from a host of angels,
Leaving all of their flocks to worship him
Rejoice, the saviour reigns,
Let all the earth be singing.
Ben Rhodes © 2016
O little town of Leamington: Nicky Whitehouse
O little town of Leamington, how still you seem to be.
As victims weep and cruel souls sleep, the Leam drifts lazily.
Yet in the clean and tidy streets behind closed doors tonight,
The violence brews, harsh words are used, the troubled households fight.
On Christmas Eve the children sleep in wealth or poverty;
The carols sung, the stockings hung, we wait expectantly.
No ear may hear his coming above the nightclub din,
The TV shows, the shopping woes – yet Jesus enters in.
Our churches altogether proclaim the holy birth,
The faithful come amidst the fun to welcome him at church.
Three thousand babies born each year at Warwick Hospital,
God’s own dear son loves everyone, their birth no obstacle.
O Christmas here in Leamington, be a time of peace we pray.
Christingles shine and church bells chime, bright lanterns light our way.
We welcome in the lonely, meet family far and near.
Oh help us care, oh help us share our Lord, our morning star.
Nicky Whitehouse © 2016
Flight: Barbara Emm
They slipped away without farewells,
Into the shielding night.
Trotting on donkeys unused to haste,
Sand muffling the sound of their flight.
The princely gifts in panniers stowed,
And new mother’s untiring arms
Enfolding the gift most precious of all,
His crying she instantly calms.
‘Why did they go so quietly?
Why didn’t they say goodbye?’
‘Don’t speak of the life of the little one,
Forget – or he’ll surely die.’
They bid me say to you ‘Shalom,
Be blest with sheltering peace.’
Now where they passed, in radiance blooms
Sweet flowers called ‘Hearts-ease’.
Barbara Emm © 2016
God gave a present: Graham Howe
God gave a present, a mighty, mighty present,
God gave a present to us all.
God gave a present, a mighty, mighty present,
God gave a present to us all.
Chorus:
Better than a mobile app. Or Facebook or YouTube,
Better than a lottery win, a holiday or cruise,
A present that will last forever and eternally,
God gave his son for you and me.
Down in a stable, a humble, lowly stable,
The saviour of the world was timely born.
Born of a virgin, as though he was an urchin,
God gave a present to us all.
The shepherds saw the glory and lived to tell the story
Of all the holy angels had displayed,
They said to one another ‘Let’s go and find the mother
And the little babe who all of us has saved’
Later came some sages whose journey lasted ages,
Following a star they came from far.
They asked of Herod directions, because he had connections ,
But Herod didn’t want a challenger.
(Last verse, a little slower)
The star it went before them and stood before the door …then
The sages gave their presents, one, two, three,
And just as they adored Him, we too can come before Him
And sing of his Love he gave to me.
(Chorus, back to speed).
Graham Howe © 2016
Come let us sing: Mary Bick
Come let us sing with one accord
To tell the world that Christ the Lord
Was born today in a lowly cattle shed
To Mary mild, a manger for his bed.
As Jesus lay in stable bare,
His mother watched with loving care
Fearful to see that star that shone so bright
Telling the world God’s son was born that night.
Good shepherds travelled from afar
And wise men three, led by a star
To praise the child who came from Heaven to Earth
And offer gifts, to celebrate his birth.
We can’t bring frankincense and gold,
But we can help the news unfold,
And do God’s will, answering the call
To end all strife, and show our love to all.
Mary Bick © 2016
Christmas prayer, or God with us: Eleanor Perkins
[The singers sing the words of O come, O come Emanuel pausing at the end of each line and holding the note. The new words are spoken and the chorus is sung and spoken simultaneously.]
O come, o come Immanuel,
Come and sit with me my good friend; can I tell you what’s worrying me?
And ransom captive Israel
Will you sit in my empty chair tonight? Will you listen?
That mourns in lonely exile here
Will you come with me?
Until the Son of God appear.
Will you show me how we can start to make things right?
(Together) Rejoice, rejoice, Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. You’ve come, you’ve come, God with us: now will you come again?
O come, o come thou Lord of might
Come to our politicians and give them wisdom
Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
To look out for the sick, dispossessed, the refugee
In ancient times didst give the law
Come to our judges, lawmakers, police
In cloud and majesty and awe
And give us peace [Refrain as before]
O come thou rod of Jesse, free
Come and liberate our minds
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
Come and free us from fear and doubt
From depths of Hell thy people save
Old and young, good, bad, bully, thief, and liar
And give them victory o’er the grave
And me, Jesus; set us free [Refrain as before]
O come thou key of David, come
Come and see the terrible waste and wars we’ve made
And open wide our heavenly home
But can I show you the beauty too?
Make safe the path that leads on high
Walk with us a while again
And close the path to misery And show us the way [Refrain as before]
Eleanor Perkins © 2016