Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Ten Great Middle Verse Christmas Lyrics

I love Christmas carols.  Many of us know the first verse of Christmas songs by heart, as we have sung them since we were children and hear them ubiquitously in the weeks after Thanksgiving.  But many of these songs have incredible middle verses that we aren't very familiar with, that only get sung on Christmas Eve (if ever).  So I am posting this as a tribute to all the beautiful written, theologically rich middle verses to Christmas hymns that often get buried.  Please post your favorites as well!  (p.s.  Last year, I wrote my thoughts on Advent - many of these verses reflect the same sentiments as my post.)

Listed in random order:

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.
(Oh Come Emmanuel)
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Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name

(Oh Holy Night)
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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.

(Joy to the World)
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Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth


Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Immanuel
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Immanuel

(Hark the Herald Angels Sing)
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Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the heavenly strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The tidings which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing! 

O ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
(It Came Upon a Midnight Clear)
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Born your people to deliver, 

Born a child and yet a king;
Born to reign in us forever, 
Now your gracious kingdom bring. 
By your own eternal Spirit 
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By your all-sufficient merit 
Raise us to your glorious throne.

(Come O Long Expected Jesus)
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And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."

(I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day)
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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.

(O Little Town of Bethlehem)
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Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart and soul, and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath oped the heavenly door,
And man is blessed evermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
(Good Christian Men Rejoice)
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Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
(Angels from the Realms of Glory)

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