Lenten Spring Break

So it's alot harder to pull of the internet thing when you're in the mountains and you don't even have cell phone reception and you can't figure out the dial-up than i expected it would be. here are the saturday, sunday, and monday hymns. the rest will show up whenever time permits, but i'll be typing them on the computer.

hark! the herald angels sing

hark! the herald angels sing
"glory to the newborn King!
peace on earth, and mercy mild -
God and sinners reconciled."
joyful all ye nations, rise
join the triumph of the skies
with angelic hosts proclaim -
Christ is born in bethlehem
hark! the herald angels sing
"glory to the newborn King!"

Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord
late in time behold Him come
offspring of the virgin's womb
veiled in flesh the Godhead see
hail the incarnate Deity
pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
hark! the herald angels sing
"glory to the newborn King!"

hail the heaven-born Prince of peace
hail the Son of righteousness
light and life to all He brings
risen with healing in His wings
mild, He lays His glory by
born that men no more may die
born to raise the sons of earth
born to give them second birth
hark! the herald angels sing
"glory to the newborn King!"

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'veiled in flesh the Godhead see' - i just like that phrase

'mild, He lays His glory by; born that men no more may die' - pretty phenomenal that Jesus laid His glory by so men no more may die...

nuff said i think

Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor

Thou, Who wast rich beyond all splendor, all for love's sake becamest poor
thrones for a manger did surrender, sapphire-paved courts for stable floor
Thou, Who wast rich beyond all splendor, all for love's sake becamest poor

Thou, Who art God beyond all praising, all for love's sake becamest man
stooping so low, but sinners raising heav'nward by Thine eternal plan
Thou, Who art God beyond all praising, all for love's sake becamest man

Thou, Who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship Thee
Emmanuel, within us dwelling, make us what Thou wouldst have us be
Thou, Who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship Thee

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one thing i think it is important to remember was that in the incarnation, Christ traded glory for torturous pain and suffering, in order to bring more glory to Himself by buying us back from among the damned. as a good edwardsian, i revel in the concept that God has so bound Himself to His people (us!) that His glory and our good are completely interconnected. the best thing that can happen for me is that God be glorified. fascinatingly enough, because i am His, and He is love beyond all telling, it is also true that my good is the best thing that can happen for God's glory. whoa. trippy. ;-)

Joy to the World

joy to the world! the Lord is 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

joy to the earth! the Savior reigns - let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy

no more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders of His love

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here again we visit one of my favorite themes - the way that Christ's sacrifice redeems not only the elect but all of creation. not only are there now vices - there are now thorns as well. there is now toil, not just God-given work. and the thing is that as deeply as this world is broken, even more deeply is the healing power of the blood of Christ mending the brokenness... He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found...

hallelujah!