Luke 1:5-60
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[Luk 1:13] Let Thine Example
Let thine example, holy John, remind us,
Ere we can meetly sing thy deeds of wonder,
Hearts must be chastened, and the bonds that bind us
Broken asunder!Lo! a swift angel, from the skies descending,
Tells to thy father what shall be thy naming;
All thy life’s greatness to its bitter ending
Duly proclaiming.But when he doubted what the angel told him
Came to him dumbness to confirm the story;
At thine appearing, healed again behold him,
Chanting thy glory!Oh! what a splendor and a revelation
Came to each mother, at thy joyful leaping,
Greeting thy Monarch, King of every nation,
In the womb sleeping.Angels in orders everlasting praise Thee,
God, in Thy triune majesty tremendous,
Hark to the prayers we, penitents, upraise Thee:
Save and defend us.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:14] In Thee Is Gladness
In Thee is gladness, amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By Thee are given the gifts of Heaven,
Thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls Thou makest, our bonds Thou breakest;
Who trusts Thee surely hath built securely,
And stands forever. Alleluia!If God be ours, we fear no powers,
Not of earth or sin or death.
God sees and blesses in worst distresses,
And can change them in a breath.
Wherefore the story tell of God’s glory
With heart and voices; all Heaven rejoices,
Singing forever: Alleluia!Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:26] Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came, The
The angel Gabriel from Heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!“For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“My soul shall laud and magnify His holy Name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say—
“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:26] Gabriel, From The Heaven Descending
Gabriel, from the Heaven descending,
On the faithful Word attending,
Is in holy converse blending
With the virgin full of grace:That good word and sweet he plighteth
In the bosom where it lighteth,
And for Eva Ave writeth,
Changing Eva’s name and race.At the promise that he sendeth
God the Incarnate Word descendeth;
Yet no carnal touch offendeth
Her, the undefilèd one.She, without a father, beareth,
She no bridal union shareth,
And a painless birth declareth
That she bare the Royal Son.Tale that wondering search entices!
But believe—and that suffices;
It is not for man’s devices
Here to pry with gaze unmeet:High the sign, its place assuming
In the bush, the unconsuming:
Mortal, veil thine eyes presuming,
Loose thy shoes from off thy feet.As the rod, by wondrous power,
Moistened not by dew or shower,
Bare the almond and the flower,
Thus He came, the virgin’s fruit:Hail the Fruit, O world, with gladness!
Fruit of joy and not of sadness:
Adam had not lapsed to madness
Had he tasted of its shoot.Jesus, kind above all other,
Gentle Child of gentle mother,
In the stable born our Brother,
Whom the angelic hosts adore:He, once cradled in a manger,
Heal our sin and calm our danger;
For our life, to this world stranger,
Is in peril evermore.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:28] To A Maid Engaged To Joseph
To a maid engaged to Joseph, the angel Gabriel came.
“Fear not,” the angel told her, “I come to bring good news,
Good news I come to tell you, good news, I say, good news.“For you are highly favored by the God the Lord of all,
Who even now is with you. You are on earth most blest,
You are most blest, most blessèd, God chose you, you are blest!”But Mary was most troubled to hear the angel’s word.
What was the angel saying? It troubled her to hear,
To hear the angel’s message, it troubled her to hear.“Fear not, for God is with you, and you shall bear a child.
His name shall be called Jesus, God’s offspring from on high.
And he shall reign forever, forever reign on high.”“How shall this be?” said Mary, “I am not yet a wife.”
The angel answered quickly, “The power of the Most High
Will come upon you shortly, your child will be God’s child.”As Mary heard the angel, she wondered at his words.
“Behold, I am your handmaid,” she said unto her God.
“So be it; I am ready according to your word.”Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:31] God Whom Earth, And Sea, And Sky, The
The God Whom earth, and sea, and sky,
Adore, and laud, and magnify,
Who o’er their threefold fabric reigns,
The virgin’s spotless womb contains.The God Whose will by moon and sun
And all things in due course is done,
Is borne upon a maiden’s breast,
By fullest heavenly grace possest.How blest the mother, in whose shrine
The great Artificer Divine,
Whose hand contains the earth and sky,
Vouchsafed, as in His ark, to lie!Blest, in the message Gabriel brought;
Blest, by the work the Spirit wrought:
From whom the Great Desire of earth
Took human flesh and human birth.All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, virgin-born, to Thee!
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:31] Hail, O Star That Pointest
Hail, O star that pointest
Towards the port of Heaven,
Thou to whom as maiden
God for Son was given.When the salutation
Gabriel had spoken,
Peace was shed upon us,
Eva’s bonds were broken.Bound by Satan’s fetters,
Health and vision needing,
God will aid and light us
At thy gentle pleading.Jesu’s tender mother,
Make thy supplication
Unto Him Who chose thee
At His incarnation;That, O matchless maiden,
Passing meek and lowly,
Thy dear Son may make us
Blameless, chaste and holy.So, as now we journey
Aid our weak endeavor,
Till we gaze on Jesus,
And rejoice forever.Father, Son and Spirit,
Three in One confessing,
Give we equal glory,
Equal praise and blessing.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:35] Now Yield We Thanks And Praise
Now yield we thanks and praise to Christ enthroned in glory,
And on this day of days tell out redemption’s story,
Who truly have believed that on this blessèd morn,
In holiness conceived, the Son of God was born.What tribute shall we pay to Him who came in weakness,
And in a manger lay to teach His people meekness?
Let every house be bright; let praises never cease;
With mercies infinite our Christ hath brought us peace.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:38] From East West, From Shore To Shore
From east to west, from shore to shore,
Let every heart awake and sing
The holy Child Whom Mary bore,
The Christ, the everlasting King.Behold, the world’s Creator wears
The form and fashion of a slave;
Our very flesh our Maker shares,
His fallen creature, man, to save.For this how wondrously He wrought!
A maiden, in her lowly place,
Became, in ways beyond all thought,
The chosen vessel of His grace.She bowed her to the angel’s word
Declaring what the Father willed,
And suddenly the promised Lord
That pure and hallowed temple filled.He shrank not from the oxen’s stall,
He lay within the manger bed,
And He whose bounty feedeth all
At Mary’s breast Himself was fed.And while the angels in the sky
Sang praise above the silent field,
To shepherds poor the Lord Most High,
The one great Shepherd, was revealed.All glory for this blessèd morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to Thee, O virgin born,
All praise, O Holy Ghost, to Thee.source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:46] Away! With Loyal Hearts And True
Away! with loyal hearts and true,
O’er hill and dale they pressed
Full four score weary miles, to do
The Cæsar’s high behest;
And Mary sang “Magnificat,”
Her own, her ancient song;
For well wist she that God’s decree
Was bearing her along,
Was bearing her along.Away! through fields and meadows green,
O’er purple heather-bed,
By mountain pass, or dark ravine,
The faithful couple sped.
And soft and sweet, where’er they went,
To glad the weary way,
Sang Mary that “Magnificat,”
Her own, her ancient lay,
Her own, her ancient lay.O’erhead the storm clouds often wept,
And tempests o’er them passed,
And cold around them often swept
The bleak December blast.
But still she sang “Magnificat,”
Through weather foul or fair;
For all was rest within her breast,
’Twas always sunshine there,
’Twas always sunshine there.And when the pilgrimage was o’er,
And of their royal king
Not one would open wide his door,
And bid them enter in;
Still Mary sang “Magnificat”
With ever joyful tone;
“Whate’er betide, the Lord,” she cried,
“Is mindful of His own.”Worn out at last, and ill-bestead,
Right glad were they to find
Within a sorry cattle shed
A shelter from the wind.
And Mary sang “Magnificat”
Right through that wondrous night;
And, e’er the birth of morn on earth,
Was born the Light of Light.Then let us all with one accord
Join Mary’s song and say,
“My soul doth magnify the Lord,”
For ever and for aye.
Let us sing “Magnificat,”
That dear and ancient lay,
For God’s own Son with us is one,
And He is born today.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:47] My Savior
I’ve a Savior, kind and tender,
I’ve a Savior full of grace;
And a smile of winning sweetness
Ever beams upon His face:
In my heart’s shrine of affection
He shall hold the highest place.Refrain
How I love Him! How I love Him!
Since for me He bled and died;
How I love Him! Yes, I love Him
More than all the world beside.For my sake He came from Heaven
To this world of sin and shame;
Bore my guilt, tho’ He was guiltless,
And tho’ blameless, took my blame:
Can I ever cease to love Him,
And His goodness to proclaim?Refrain
Tho’ I’ve often been unworthy,
He has constant been, and true;
Tho’ I wronged Him, He forgave me
When I would my vows renew;
Tho’ I spurned Him, He with kindness
My rebellious heart did woo.Refrain
I’ve a Savior, kind and tender,
He would be your Savior, too;
Will you not accept the pardon
Which He freely offers you?
Take Him now as your Redeemer,
Earth has not a friend so true.Refrain
Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:47] O What Shall I Do, My Savior To Praise
O what shall I do my Savior to praise,
So faithful and true, so plenteous in grace,
So strong to deliver, So good to redeem
The weakest believer that hangs upon Him!How happy the man whose heart is set free,
The people that can be joyful in thee!
Their joy is to walk in the light of thy face,
And still they are talking of Jesus’ grace.Their daily delight shall be in Thy Name;
They shall as their right Thy righteousness claim;
Thy righteousness wearing, and cleansed by Thy blood,
Bold shall they appear in the presence of God.For Thou art their Boast, their Glory and Power;
And I also trust to see the glad hour,
My soul’s new creation, a life from the dead,
The day of salvation, that lifts up my head.For Jesus, my Lord, is now my Defense;
I trust in His Word, none plucks me from thence;
Since I have found favor, He all things will do;
My King and my Savior shall make me anew.Yes, Lord, I shall see the bliss of Thine own,
Thy secret to me shall soon be made known;
For sorrow and sadness I joy shall receive,
And share in the gladness of all that believe.Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:47] Rest Of The Weary
Rest of the weary, joy of the sad,
Hope of the dreary, light of the glad;
Home of the stranger, strength to the end,
Refuge from danger, Savior and Friend!Pillow where lying, love rests its head,
Peace of the dying, life of the dead:
Path of the lowly, prize at the end,
Breath of the holy, Savior and Friend!When my feet stumble, to Thee I’ll cry,
Crown of the humble, cross of the high;
When my steps wander, over me bend
Truer and fonder,Savior and Friend!Ever confessingThee, I will raise
Unto Thee blessing, glory and praise:
All my endeavor, world without end,
Thine to be ever,Savior and Friend!Play source: Cyberhymnal -
[Luk 1:50] There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in His justice,
Which is more than liberty.There is no place where earth’s sorrows
Are more felt than up in Heaven;
There is no place where earth’s failings
Have such kindly judgment given.There is welcome for the sinner,
And more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Savior;
There is healing in His blood.There is grace enough for thousands
Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations
In that upper home of bliss.For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of our mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the Head.’Tis not all we owe to Jesus;
It is something more than all;
Greater good because of evil,
Larger mercy through the fall.If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord.Souls of men! why will ye scatter
Like a crowd of frightened sheep?
Foolish hearts! why will ye wander
From a love so true and deep?It is God: His love looks mighty,
But is mightier than it seems;
’Tis our Father: and His fondness
Goes far out beyond our dreams.But we make His love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness
With a zeal He will not own.Was there ever kinder shepherd
Half so gentle, half so sweet,
As the Savior who would have us
Come and gather at His feet?Play source: Cyberhymnal