CASTLEGAR NEWS, “CHRISTMAS 1976

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. WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED
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 | bring

To you and all mankind.”

“To you, in David's town, this day,
ds born of David's line =

A Saviour who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign: :

“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view display‘d,

All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeard a shining throng

Of Angels, praising.God, who'thus
Address'd 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.”

THE FIRST NOWEL

The first Nowel the- angel did say,

Was to certain poor. shepherds in. fields
4 where they lay; i
In fields where they lay keeping their

sheep #
On a cold winter's‘night that was so deep.
5 Refrain:
Nowel, Nowel, Nowel, Nowel
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.

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.

This star drew nigh to the northeast,

O’er Bethlehem it took its rest,

And there it ‘did both stop and stay
" Right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then entered in those wise men three.
Full reverently upon their knee,

And offered there in His presence

Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
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.

WE THREE KINGS

We three kings of Orient are

Bearing gifts; we traverse afar y

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star. :

Refrain :
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.

Solo (Melchoir) :.
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, °
Gold | bring to crown Him again.
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Solo (Casper) :
Frankincense to offer have |,
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all.men raising,
Worship Him, God most High. 2

Solo (Balthazar) :
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

Glorious naw behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,

Earth to the heavens replies.

GOD REST. YOU MERRY GENTLEMEN

God rest you merry gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,

~Remember Christ your Saviour

Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray,
Refrain:
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort

and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy !

Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place, :
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth efface.

4 “AWAY IN A MANGER

Away in.a manger, no crib forabed,  -
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;
| love Thee, Lord Jesus; look down from

: the sky, -
And.stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near"me, Lord Jesus, | ask Thee to sta
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. E

~ ©:COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

O come; all ye faithful,

Joyful and triumphant,

Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem,
Come: and behold Him,

Born the King of angels :

: Refrain :
O-come, let us adore Him,
.O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord, .

Sing, choirs of angels,

Sing in exultation, -

Sing all ye citizens ‘of heaven above.
Sing ye, All glory

To God in the highest !

Yea, Lord, we hail Thee,

Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given,
Word of the Father,

Now in flesh appearing.

ANGELS FROM THE REALMS

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story

Now proclaim Messiah’s Birth;
Come and worship,

Worship Christ, the new-born King.

Shepherds in the fields abiding,
Watching o’er their flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light;
Come and worship :
Worship Christ, the new-born King.

Sages, leave your contemplations
Brighter visions beam afar;

Seek the great Desire of nations,

Ye have seen His Natal Star;

Come and worship, .

Worship Christ, the newborn King.

“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.”
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, -
Veil'd in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity.

Pleas'd as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel: .

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace,

_ Hail the Son of righteousness.
= Light and Jife to all He brings,

Ris'n with: healing in His wings.
-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:

CHRISTIANS, AWAKE

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn
Whereon the Saviour of the word wee

: born! : :
Rise to adore the mystery of love,
Which hosts of angels chanted from above:
With them the joyful tiding first begun
Of God Incarnate and the Virgin's Son,

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
Who heard th’ angelic herald’s voice,

: Behold, : y
| bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth
To you and all the nations upon earth |
‘This day hath God fulfill'd His promis'd

word;
This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord.

Then may we hope, the angelic hosts among

To’join, redeemed, a glad triumphant
throng;

He that was born upon this joyful day

Around us all His glory shall display.

Saved His love, incessant we shall sing

Eternal praise to heaven's Almighty King.

e

skin Coad

IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious sang of old,

From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold;

“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heaven's all gracious king.”
The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And men, at war with men, hear not
The words of. peace they bring;

O hush the noise ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

HERE WE COME A-WASSAILING

Here we come a-wassailing among the
leaves so green;

Here we come a-wandering, so fair to be
seen.

Refrain :
Love and joy come to you, and to you our
wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a Happy
New Year !

We are not daily beggars that beg from

door to door;
But we are neighbor's children whom you
have seen. before.

We have a little purse made of ratching
leather skin;

We want a little sixpence to line it well
within.

God bless the master of this house: like-
wise the mistress, too; .
And all the little children that round the
table go.

THERE'S A SONG IN THE AIR

There's a song in the air !

There's a star in the sky !

There's a mother's deep prayer,

And a baby's low cry!

And the star rains its fire while the

beautiful sing,

For the manger of Bethlehem ‘cradles
a king!

There's a tumult of joy

. O’er the wonderful birth,

For the Virgin's sweet Boy

Is the Lord of the earth.

Aye ! the star rains its fire while the
beautiful sing,

For the manger of Bethlehem cradles
aKing!

In the light of that star

Lie the ages impearled;

And that song from afar

Has swept over the world.

Every hearth ‘is aflame, and the beautiful

sing,
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is
King |

We rejoice in the light,

And we echo the song

That comes down through the night

From the heavenly throng. :

Aye !_we should to the lovely evangel
they bring,

And we greet in His Cradle our Saviour
.and King !

” Bear the joyful tidings,

BRIGHTEST AND BEST

Brightest and best of the sons of the
morning,
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us Thine
id t

aia!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are

shining,
Low lies His head with the beasts-of the
stall; zi :
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining —
Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all!

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odours of Edom and offerings divine ?
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the

- ocean,
Myrch from the forest, or gold from the
mine ? 5
Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would his favor secure.
Richer by far is the heart's adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Brightest and best of the sons of the
morning
Dawn cn our darkness and lend us Thine

: ai
Star of the East, the horizon adorning, -
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid !

AS WITH GLADNESS

As with gladness men of old

Did the guiding star behold;

As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward, beaming bright;
So, most gracious Lord, may we
Evermore be led to Thee !

As with joyful steps they sped,
Saviour, to Thy lowly bed;

There to bend the knee before
Thee, whom heaven and earth adore:
So may we with willing feet

Ever seek thy mercy-seat.

As they offered gifts most rare

At the cradle, rude and bare;

So may we with holy joy,

Pure, and free from sins alloy,

All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

Holy Jesus, every day

Keep us in the narrow way;

And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls, at last,
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright
Need they no created light;

Thou its light, its joy, its crown,
Thou its sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Hallelujahs to our King !

CAROL, SWEETLY CAROL

Carol, sweetly carol,
A Saviour born today;

O, bear them far away:

Carol, sweetly: carol

Till earth’s remotest bound

Shall-hear the mighty chorus,

And echo back the sound.
Refrain :

Carol, sweetly. carol

Carol sweetly today;

Bear the joyful tidings,

O, bear them far away.

Carol, sweetly caro!
The-happy Christmas time;
Hark! the bells are pealing-
Their. merry, merry chime:
Carol, sweetly carol,

Ye shining ones above,

Sing in the loudest numbers,
O' sing redeeming love.

‘ INFANT HOLY

{infant holy, infant lowly,

For His bed a cattle stall;

Oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ the Babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging, angels singing,
Nowels ringing, tidings bringing,
Christ the Babe is Lord of all.

Flocks are sleeping, shepherds keeping
Vigil till the morning new

Saw the glory, heard the story,

Tidings of a gospel true.

Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
Praises voicing greet the morrow,
Christ the Babe is Lord of all.