By bringing light to our darkness, we also honour light in our lives.

Joy to the World (#154)
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
    let earth receive the King;
Let every heart prepare him room;
    and heav’n and nature sing, (x2)
    and heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.

 

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
    let us glad songs employ. 
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
    repeat the sounding joy, (x2)
    repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

 

No more let wrongs and sorrows grow, 
    nor thorns infest the ground; 
he comes to make his blessings flow
    far as our sin is found, (x2)
    far as, far as our sin 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, (x2)
    and wonders, wonders of His love.
 

 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing (#138)

Hark! the Herald Angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.”

Joyful all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

 

Refrain: 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 a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!

Hail, the incarnate deity!

Pleased as one of us to dwell,

Jesus our Emmanuel! Refrain

 

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise each child of earth,
born to give us second birth. Refrain

 

The First Nowell (#139)
The first nowell the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
in fields where they lay a-keeping their sheep, 
on a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

​

Refrain: Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
born is the King of Israel.

​

They looked up and saw a star
shining in the east beyond them far;
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night. Refrain

This star drew nigh to the northwest;
o’er Bethlehem it took its rest,
and there it did both stop and stay,
right over the place where Jesus lay. Refrain

​

And by the light of that same Star
three wise men came from country far,
to seek for a King was their intent,
and to follow the Star wherever it went. Refrain

​

then enter'd in those wise men three,
full reverently upon their knee,
and offer'd there, in his presence,
their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. Refrain

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Then let us all with one accord
sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
that hath made heaven and earth of nought,
and with his blood mankind hath bought. Refrain

 

Away in a Manger (#126)

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,

the little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

 

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes;
I love thee, Lord Jesus­—look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle ‘til morning is nigh.

 

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

 

While Shepherds Watched (#136)

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,

    all seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
  and glory shone around.

 

“Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread
  had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
  to you and humankind.

 

To you, in David’s town, this day
  is born of David’s line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord,
  and this shall be the sign.

 

The heavenly baby you there shall find

    to human view displayed,

all meanly wrapped in swaddling bands,

    and in a manger laid.”

 

Thus spake the seraph;

    and forthwith appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God, who thus

    addressed their joyful song:

 

“All glory be to God on high,
  and to the Earth be peace;
good will henceforth from Heaven to men

    begin and never cease.”
 

Once in Royal David’s City (#123)

Once in royal David’s city
  stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
  in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

 

He came down to earth from Heaven,
  who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
  and his cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
lived on earth our Saviour holy.

 

Not in that poor lowly stable,
  with the oxen standing by,
We shall see him, but in Heaven,
  set at God’s right hand on high;
When, like stars, his children crowned
all in white shall gather round.

 

O Come, All Ye Faithful (#118)

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem;
come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

 

Refrain: O come, let us adore Him, (x3)
Christ the Lord.

 

God of God, Light of Light,
lo, he abhors not the virgin’s womb;
very God, begotten not created; Refrain

 

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God, all glory in the highest; Refrain

 

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; Refrain

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O Little Town of Bethlehem (#120/121)

O little town of Bethlehem,
  how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
  the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
  the everlasting Light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
  are met in thee to-night.

 

For Christ is born of Mary
  and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep the angels keep
  their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together
  proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
  and peace to all the earth

 

How silently, how silently

    the wondrous gift is given,
as love imparts to human hearts
  the blessings of God’s 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 holy Child of Bethlehem,
  descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin and enter in;
  be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels,
  the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
  our Lord Emmanuel!

​

What Child is This (#137)

What Child is this who, laid to rest
  on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
  while shepherds watch are keeping?
 

Refrain: This, this is Christ the King,
  whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
  the Babe, the Son of Mary.

 

Why lies He in such mean estate,
  where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
  the silent Word is pleading. Refrain
 

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh;

    come, peasant, king, to own him.

The King of kings salvation brings;

    Let loving hearts enthrone him. Refrain

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Silent Night (#119)

Silent Night, Holy Night!

All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
  sleep in heavenly peace,
  sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing alleluia,
  Christ, the Savior, is born.
  Christ, the Savior, is born!

​

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
  Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
  Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.