God is Light.
Master Score of lyrics, readings, sources, & inspirations
HOLY LONGING.
My Grownup Christmas List.
David Foster (lyrics altered).
Dear God,
Help us to become like little children, so that we can enter Your kingdom of heaven.
Do You remember me?
I knelt upon my knees
I prayed to You with childhood fantasies
Well I'm all grown up now
But still need help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grownup Christmas list
Not just for me but for this world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grownup Christmas list
So many chase the wind
For the innocence of youth
When it's only by the Light of Love
That we'll ever find the Truth
God gave us the gift of putting enmity between us and Satan, and of putting eternity in our hearts so that each one of us has the same holy longing God does to destroy all evil and restore all goodness. Forever. (adapted from Genesis 3:15, Ecclesiastes 3:11, 1 John 3:8b)
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grownup Christmas list
This is my grownup Christmas list
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SUFFERING.
Calling All Angels.
Jane Siberry.
We need to remember that angels of light from heaven will be with us to help us, especially when we're suffering. (adapted from Ellen White in The Review and Herald, July 4, 1899)
A man is placed upon the steps and a baby cries
High above you can hear the church bells start to ring
And as the heaviness, oh the heaviness, the body settles in
Somewhere you can hear a mother sing
Then it's one foot, then the other
As you step out on the road of hope
Step out on that road...
...how much weight? How much?
Then it's how long and how far and how many times?
Oh, before it's too late
Calling all angels, calling all angels
Walk me through this one...don't leave me alone
Calling all angels, calling all angels
We're trying, we're hoping
But we're not sure how
Oh and every day you gaze upon the sunset
With such love and intensity
Why it's almost as if you could crack the code
Then you'd finally understand...what this all means
Ah but if you could, do you think you would
Trade in all, all the pain and suffering?
Ah but then you'd miss the beauty of
The light upon this earth
And the sweetness of the leaving
Calling all angels, calling all angels
Walk me through this one...don't leave me alone
Calling all angels, calling all angels
We're trying, we're hoping
But we're not sure how
Calling all angels, calling all angels
Walk me through this one...don't leave me alone
Calling all angels, calling all angels
We're trying, we're hoping
We're loving and we're hurting
We're crying, we're calling
'Cause we're not sure how this goes
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OUR NEED.
Why Does She Have to Die?
Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek.
Reading by Chloe Murnighan.
We don't just have trouble with how.
We deeply struggle with why.
Why?
When the evil in this world tears into our innocence like a jagged arrow and the darkness pours in, we ask, "Why?!"
We don't ask when or what or who - all of those become all too clear, all too soon.
We ask why.
Our souls ache with wounds as we cry out and wonder:
What was God doing when that happened?
What was He doing?!
Why did they have to die?
Why did they have to leave?
Why couldn't they love me?
Why couldn't they understand?
Why did it have to be cancer?
Why did there have to be a car accident?!
Why didn't He stop it?!
Why?!!
We want to see.
We're desperate for light.
God seems dark.
We feel alone.
We need a reason.
We need what we lost to make sense.
We want so badly to understand what happened.
We are trying to reconcile the opposing realities of the conflicting messages that pierce and woo our lives.
Satan's arrows of horror.
God's tender romancing.
How do we live with both of them?
We're not sure how this goes.
We are trying to make our wounds close.
We want to get better.
We want to be well again.
We want to be good again.
We long to be whole.
Christmas is a time when darkness feels heightened for many people. And that doesn't seem to make sense at first. What about joy to the world? What about all the love? What about the love of God? What about all the pretty lights, presents and happy music? Isn't Christmas that time of year when everyone is supposed to feel that special something that only happens during "the holidays"?
It is supposed to be special.
But not the way most people think.
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BIRTH OF THE CHRISTMAS ROSE.
Be Born in Me.
Nicole Nordeman.
O Little Town of Bethlehem.
Christmas Carol (lyrics rearranged).
Rose of Bethlehem.
Lowell Alexander (lyrics rearranged).
Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming.
Christmas Carol (lyrics rearranged).
Opening Reading by Chloe Murnighan
Inspirations:
Romans 8:38-39
"Invitation to Solitude and Silence" by Ruth Haley Barton
"The Healing Presence" by Leanne Payne
"God With Us" edited by Greg Pennoyer & Gregory Wolfe
That special something at Christmas isn't a thing or a feeling. It's a Person and His Presence. It is when the love of Emmanuel, God with us, enters a human soul and shines the light of who He is into their darkness so they can know His heart and know that Love never left them, Love is available right now, and nothing can ever take it away. Nothing can separate us from His Love.
It's easy to say all of those beautiful truths, but how do we get there? How can that possibly become our experience when we're spilling over with old grief and fresh hurt? How can we make room to receive God's Presence when we're filled with the "why" questions of our suffering?
When we mourn, we ask, "Why?" And thankfully, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Our path to healing is found in our poverty. It is natural to avoid the pain of facing how empty and helpless we are apart from God. But we must know we are empty before we can experience being filled. We must know our helplessness in order to experience God's strength.
We will find the new life of Jesus born within the sad manger of our empty and helpless souls. He cannot be born in a heart that has no room for Him like the inn. He is born in what is not and never can be good enough for Him. And that is such a relief! He is born in us like He was in a manger. And once He is born in us, He begins to make us good again.
Everything inside me cries for order
Everything inside me wants to hide
Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
If God is pleased with me, why am I so terrified?
Someone tell me I am only dreaming
Somehow help me see with heaven's eyes
And before my head agrees
My heart is on its knees
Holy is He
Blessed am I
Be born in me, be born in me
Trembling heart, somehow I believe
That You chose me
I'll hold You in the beginning
You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle
Make my heart Your Bethlehem
Be born in me
I am not brave, I'll never be
The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy
I'm just a girl, nothing more
But I am willing, I am Yours
God, may our empty, grieving souls become fertile wombs in which Your newness of life beings. (God With Us)
O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast down our sin
And enter in
Be born in us today
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in
It is precisely because we are weary, and poor in spirit, that God can touch us with hope. (God With Us)
There's a Rose in Bethlehem
Colored red like Mercy's blood
'Tis the flower of our faith
'Tis the blossom of God's Love
There's a fragrance much like hope
That it sends upon the wind
Reaching out to every soul
From a lowly manger's crib
O Rose of Bethlehem
How lovely, pure and sweet
Born to glorify the Father
Born to wear the thorns for me
Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere
True man, yet very God
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens every load
As with pregnancy, so with our spiritual lives: the new life anticipated is already forming within us. Along with Mary, our waiting is transformed into an intimately felt Presence. (God With Us)
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RESCUE FROM DARKNESS.
Jesus King of Angels
Fernando Ortega (lyrics altered).
Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. (Hebrews 1:3)
Jesus, King of angels, heaven's Light
Shine Your face upon this house tonight
Let no evil come into my dreams
Light of heaven, keep me in Your peace
Remind me how You made dark spirits flee
And spoke Your power to the raging sea
And spoke Your mercy to a sinful race
Remind me, Jesus, and shine on me Your face
The universe is vast beyond the stars
But You are mindful when a sparrow falls
And mindful of the anxious thoughts that find me,
Surround me and bind me
Jesus is the radiance of God's glory, and He will be our peace. (Hebrews 1:3, Micah 5:5)
With all my heart, I love You sovereign Lord
Tomorrow let me love You even more
And rise to speak the goodness of Your name
Until I close my eyes in sleep again
The universe is vast beyond the stars
But You are mindful when a sparrow falls
And mindful of the anxious thoughts that find me,
Surround me and bind me
Jesus, King of angels, heaven's Light
Hold my hand and keep me through this night
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
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PROMISED LIGHT.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Christmas Carol.
Let There Be.
Gungor (lyrics altered).
A Light.
The Brilliance.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. And the devil had made the earth dark through misrepresenting God. To draw the world back into the light, Satan's deceptive power needed to be broken. Only one Being in all the universe could do it. (1 John 3:8b, adaptation of Desire of Ages 22.1)
O come, O come Emmanuel
(Come, Lord Jesus) [Revelation 22:20]
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears
Rejoice!
Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee
O Israel
(He is coming soon) [Revelation 22:20]
Darkness hovering
Binding all of man in sin
Hearts empty
Aching for their Savior King
Let there be
Let there be
Let there be
Let there be
Let there be
Let there be
Let there be light!
A light shone down on us
A star of hope shines bright
A light shines bright
A light shone down on us
A star of hope shines bright
A light shines bright
A light shines bright
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light! On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned! For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given! The government will be on His shoulders, and He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. And His Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Isaiah 9:2, 6-7a, Daniel 7:14)
A light shines bright!
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THE JOY THAT THRILLED ALL HEAVEN!
Angels We Have Heard On High.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
Joy to the World.
Christmas Carols (lyrics altered & rearranged).
Hallelujah Chorus
George F. Handel (lyrics altered).
The angel told the shepherds how to find Jesus. With tender regard for their human weakness, he'd given them time to adapt to his radiance. Then the joy and glory could no longer be hidden. The whole plain was lighted up with the bright shining of all the angels, and heaven stooped to listen to the song. (adapted from Desire of Ages, 47.5)
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth we angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest! (Luke 2:14)
Hail the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen 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
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!
"Joy to the world, the Lord is come!" Anyone who hears those words only with weak enthusiasm, has not yet really heard the gospel. God comes in the midst of evil, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And in judging it, He loves us. He makes us happy as only children can be happy. (adapted from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "God is in the Manger")
Joy to the world!
The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
There is a kind of joy that knows nothing at all of the pain, distress, and anxiety of the heart. That kind of joy cannot last. But the joy God gives has gone through the poverty of the manger and the distress of the cross. The joy God gives is a joy that has known it all and still stands! (adapted from God is in the Manger)
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
Oh that today we could recognize that song! That declaration, will swell to the close of time, and resound to the ends of the earth! (adapted from Desire of Ages, 48.2)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah, the kingdom of this world
It all belongs to Jesus Christ!
And He shall reign forever and ever
And Love will reign forever; hatred and indifference will be gone. And Truth will reign forever; confusion and all the liars will be gone (Revelation 21:8). And Joy will reign forever; loneliness and shame will be gone.
No more death
And no more pain
No more tears
And no more loss
No more sin
Forevermore and evermore!
Satan's work of ruin will be forever ended. We will be forever delivered from Satan's presence. Only Jesus will keep His scars... (adapted from The Great Controversy, 673.2)
...and we will sing He is
KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS
And He shall reign forever and ever and ever
King of kings and Lord of lords
No more fights and no more wars
And He shall reign forever and ever
King of kings and Lord of lords
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
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SACRED MYSTERY.
What Child is This?
Christmas Carol.
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.
Ralph Vaughn Williams (lyrics rearranged).
In the Beginning.
David Huntsinger.
Of the Father's Love Begotten.
Christmas Carol.
We have been called to fulfill the Word of God and make known to all the world the riches of a deep truth that should be endlessly explored. It has been hidden for ages, but now it is ours: it is the sacred mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. (adapted from Colossians 1:25-27 & God With Us)
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?
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing!
Haste, haste to bring Him praise
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
For unto us is born no ordinary Child. Mary's baby is God. (Isaiah 9:6a, God With Us)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away
Because God took on human flesh, human flesh is made holy. This is the glory, the scandal. Things that we would prefer to keep separate - the holy and the profane - have come together in a cold and smelly stable. The God of Ages is warmed by the breath of cattle, and by His mother's arms. Our minds revolt at the thought. But through the Incarnation, eternity entered into time. (God With Us)
In the beginning was the Word
And the Word was with God
And the Word was God
The same was in the beginning with God
All things were made by Him
And without Him was not anything made
That was made
In Him was life and the life was the Light of men
And the Light shineth in darkness
And the darkness comprehended it not
He was in the world and the world was made by Him
And the world knew Him not
He came unto His own
And His own received Him not
But by God's grace we will receive Him and celebrate that He is still doing new things with an ancient creation. God is profoundly with us now! He began long ago and continues in love that transforms sorrow, in grace that redeems our despair. (adapted from God With Us and Sarah Clarkson in "The Lifegiving Home")
Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be
He is Alpha and Omega
He the source, the ending He
Of the things that are, that have been
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore
All ye heights of heaven adore Him
Angel hosts His praises sing
Powers, dominions bow before Him
And extol our God and King
Let no tongue on earth be silent
Every voice in concert sing!
Evermore and evermore
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia
The Word was made flesh
And dwelt among us
And we beheld His glory
His glory!
Christ to Thee, with God the Father
And the Holy Ghost to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unwearied praises be
Honor, glory and dominion
And eternal victory!
Evermore and evermore
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THE GREATEST EPIPHANY.
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.
George Matheson (lyrics altered & rearranged).
Oh Light.
Gungor (lyrics altered).
Oh Light that seeketh me through pain
I cannot close my heart to Thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
And feels the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be
Oh Light that will not let me go
Oh Light
Come to reconcile
Come in like a child
Holy night
Oh Light
Our hopes and all our fears
Met within Your sight
Holy night
Hallelujah
God is with us
Hallelujah
A light has come
Oh Light
God and man entwined
Of earth and of Divine
Holy night
Oh Light
Mending fractured earth
The soul now felt its worth
O holy night
Hallelujah
God is with us
Hallelujah
A Light has come
A Light has come
Oh, a Light has come!
Because God became human, the Uncreated now shines through the created. He is Light in our darkness, His Presence fills the absences we suffer, He is Fulfillment in the midst of our longing. (adapted from God With Us and The Healing Presence)
Hallelujah
Holy God is with us
Love will save us from our sin
Hallelujah
Light will chase and find us
Love is facing us again
Oh! Hallelujah!
Holy God is with us
Love is greater than our pain
Oh! Hallelujah!
Light will chase and find us!
Love is facing us again!
Hallelujah!
God is with us!
Hallelujah!
A Light has come
A Light has come
Oh! A Light has come
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OUR ANSWER.
Neverland in Blue.
Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek.
Reading by Chloe Murnighan.
In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the apostle John wrote to us about heaven: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life... And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."
Healing will take place in heaven. That means not all of our healing will happen here. The leaves of the tree of life in heaven are for the healing of the nations - for us. Even after our bodies are glorified and we first arrive in heaven, our hearts still won't be completely healed. Even with Christ in us right now, how can we heal all the way when Satan is still free to attack us, when we still have sinful nature? How can we experience full healing before we experience heaven itself? How can there be full healing in a world that is fallen? No, the fullest healing will happen in heaven when we are utterly free from sin and the relentless assaults of Satan. Whenever you feel the pain you think you'll never get over, remember this: heaven will heal it all.
So until that precious morning, how do we cope? How do we keep our hearts from shutting down to survive the pain of life? Our answer is not the removal of suffering. Our answer is Jesus.
Whoever has the Son has life. Our answer is to intimately partake of Jesus' life, to know Him in His power and to share in His suffering. In Him all things hold together, even our pain and loss. Christ in you, your hope of glory, was a Man of Sorrows, and is still intimate with pain. On the cross, Jesus Christ had His own "why" question when He asked God, "Why have You forsaken Me?" He embodied all of our "why" questions at Calvary. Our pain does not need to separate us from God. God can transform our grieving souls into places of beauty where He lives in us as He walks with us through our lives. Our suffering is not meaningless and we do not suffer alone, and we will not suffer forever. Apart from Jesus, we have no spiritual life, nothing to preserve us from being corrupted by the bitterness of suffering and the cancer of sin. Jesus became sin that we might become the righteousness of God itself. The only way for this miracle to come true is for us to have union with Jesus.
Therefore, let us throw off the doubt and hatred that hinder us, and instead let hope rise, because everything that does not come from faith is sin, and anyone who does not love remains in the darkness of death and does not know where they are going.
You might be in darkness now. You feel that you are not complete in love, that you are still afraid, that you are missing something. If that is you, open your heart wide to hear this: God wants you to become completely His so that He can flood your whole heart with His fullness and Light so that you will know you are never alone, so that suffering can be peripheral, so that suffering can be bearable. Jesus calls us to soar above our losses and exhaustion by losing ourselves in Him. His strength is made perfect in our weakness and His grace is made sufficient for our imperfections.
O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? Turn your eyes upon Jesus so that you will not lose heart. Look full in His wonderful face and the pain of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Lift up your eyes, our redemption is drawing near! Jesus, for the joy set before Him, scorned the shame of the cross and endured the merciless winter of our sin to give us the promise of a perfect summer in heaven that is coming soon, and will never pass into fall.
Quotes, inspirations & adaptations:
Revelation 22:1-2, 1 John 5:12, Philippians 3:10, Colossians 1:17, Colossians 1:27, Isaiah 53:3, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 11.2, John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 12:1, Romans 14:23b, 1 John 3:14 & 2:11, 1 John 4:18, Isaiah 40:31, 2 Corinthians 12:9, (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Hebrews 12:2, Luke 21:28, The Sacred Romance.
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HOMECOMING.
May You Find a Light.
Love Has a Way.
The Brilliance (lyrics intermingled).
It Feels Like Christmas.
When Love is Found.
Paul Williams (lyrics altered).
Lost and weary traveler
Searching for the Way to go
Stranger, heavy-hearted
Longing for someone you know
May you find a light
May you find a light
May you find a light
To guide you Home
Love has a way of finding us
Just when you think that all is lost
So if you feel like giving up
Know love is never too far off
There are weary travelers
Searching everywhere you go
Strangers who are searching
Longing deeply to be known
May you find a light
May you find a light
May you find a light
To guide you Home
May you find a light
(Love has a way of finding us)
May you find a light
(Just when you think that all is lost)
May you find a light
To guide you Home
(It is never too far off)
We are all searching. And ultimately - whether we know it or not - we are searching for God. As we search, the good news is that God is searching for us; better yet: He has found us. God is not lost, and there is no time in which Jesus the Christ is not God with us. We are invited to give up our searching and let ourselves be found by the One who wants to be with us, and to have us with Him, forever. In this hostile world, Love is the welcome that tells us that this is where we truly belong, the assurance that we have at last found our place. Our home is the heart of God. And God is not distant or inaccessible. On the contrary, He choose to come into our midst. When our lives are most barren, and despair takes hold, when we feel most keenly the emptiness of life - it is then that God comes close to us.
Home comes to us. Home Himself finds us. And then suddenly you remember how deeply loved you are. In the depth of winter, you learn that there is within you an invincible summer and His name is Jesus Christ in you, your hope of glory! And suddenly you know that you are not alone. Never again can anyone take your Lord from you. Never again will you be alone, for you have been reunited with the Lover of your soul! It is my prayer for all of us, that the Savior may throw open the gates of heaven for us in our darkest nights, so that we can have this joy in spite of everything! (adapted from God With Us, "Surrender to Love" by David G. Benner, Albert Camus, Colossians 1:27, and God is in the Manger)
A light shone down on us
A star of hope shines bright
A light shines bright
A light shines bright
It's in the feeling of His Love inside you
It's in the feeling of His Light shining on you
It's true when Jesus' love finds you
Then you have Christmas!
It's in forgiveness that we give to offenders
A deed of kindness that is done for a stranger
In all the ways that you show love you will find Jesus!
It is the season of God's Love
A special time of seeing
The heart of God made clear
It is the season of God's Spirit
His message, if we'll hear it,
Is: live in Him all year
Jesus, Your Love shines inside my soul
It's made my world brand new
First part of me, now all inside
At last is Home in You
Your Light I've found
Your Love I've found
It shines within me so I'm never quite alone
Your Light I've found
Your Love I've found
The sweetest dream that I could ever know
Your Light I've found
Your Love I've found
You shine within me so I'm never quite alone
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LOVE'S PURE LIGHT.
Silent Night.
Christmas Carol (lyrics altered).
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. And He did. (adapted from 1 John 3:8b)
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright
God came down to lighten our night
All the wrongs will soon be made right
Oh, such heavenly peace!
Jesus, our heavenly Peace
Separation from God cannot rule over us because Jesus came to give us union! (adapted from Romans 6:14)
Separation from God cannot rule over us because Jesus came to give us union! (adapted from Romans 6:14)
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
Love's pure light with us on earth
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Merry Christmas.
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