Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/141394
51 N A R R AT I O N 4 (begins without music) Let every heart prepare Him room! Let all of creation join the celebration! Lift your voice in worship as we sing the carols of old and tell the story. Jesus Christ, (music begins) the Son of God, our Emmanuel, has come! How great our joy! 38 PL E Adore Him, Christ the newborn King! The sound of angelic worship reverberates throughout centuries of time and stirs our souls deep within. We rejoice this day, just as Mary did when she first learned that she would give birth to the Messiah. "'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,'" she said, "'and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me'" (Luke 1:46-49). In this special moment together, our hearts are filled with wonder as we, too, consider the unmerited favor Christ brought to us. And the sound of worship fills the air once again. SA M The sound of worship—there's nothing like it! All of creation has been singing it from the moment God scattered stars and galaxies across an empty black canvas. When the universe was complete, the Father paused, heard the song of creation, and declared that it was good. In the course of time, there was a moment when the song of earth was accompanied by heaven's anthem. Christ was born, and the skies over Bethlehem were filled with angelic praise. Certainly, the Father must have looked down upon His One and Only Son in a manger, listened to the sound of heaven and nature singing, and said, "It is good." "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 th'angelic host proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem!' Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King.'"* Even now, as we sing in this place, the song of heaven goes on as well. It's almost as if one can hear the voice of the Father speaking over both heaven and nature, saying, "'This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!'" (Matthew 3:17). So, worship and sing out as never before, "Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Christ, by highest heav'n adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord!"* *From "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing." Words by Charles Wesley, alt. George Whitefield. BreathofHeaven_CHBK.indd 54 3/15/13 3:42 PM