Where Shepherds Lately Knelt

Written at the request of Augsburg Publishing House for a Christmas song for their 1987 Christmas Annual, Jaroslav Vajda penned this text in 1986.  Vajda sought to place himself in spirit at the humble manger bed and review the implications of such a visit for himself and for all human beings.  As the Christmas season comes to its conclusion, it is good to visit the manger one more time in order to ponder the significance of Immanuel, "God-with-us" in the flesh.

1.  Where shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel's word,

     I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred:

          but there is room and welcome there for me,

          but there is room and welcome there for me.

2.  In that unlikely place I find Him as they said:

     sweet newborn Babe, how frail! and in a manger bed:

          a still small Voice to cry one day for me,

          a still small Voice to cry one day for me.

3.  How should I not have known Isaiah would be there,

     his prophecies fulfilled?  With pounding heart, I stare:

          a Child, a Son, the Prince of Peace--for me,

          a Child, a Son, the Prince of Peace--for me.

4.  Can I, will I forget how Love was born and burned

      its way into my heart--unasked, unforced, unearned,

           to die, to live, and not alone for me,

           to die, to live, and not alone for me?

          

Now Greet the Swiftly Changing Year

As 2008 comes to its close, it's good to recall with thanksgiving all the blessings that Christ has poured out upon His Church through the hymn texts of Jaroslav J. Vajda (1919-2008).  I had the occasion to meet Pastor Vajda only once, at the very beginning of the Hymnal Project.  The Hymnody Committee spent much of the first morning of their time together just listening to Jaroslav Vajda and Carl Schalk as they freely spoke about their perspectives on the textual and musical aspects of a hymn.  I also corresponded with Pastor Vajda on one occasion, when (in 1993) I wrote "The Tree of Life."  He was very kind and encouraging with his remarks in response to my text.

Vajda's translation of the 17th century Slovakian hymn first appeared in Worship Supplement (1969).  The first line has undergone a few of changes from the original: "Greet, Man, the Swiftly Changing Year."  His second revision is what is printed here.  The final version is: "Greet Now the Swiftly Changing Year."  (What is printed here [LSB 896] was chosen because it fits best with Alfred Fedak's tune, SIXTH NIGHT, a wonderful melody that expresses the joy of this text.)

1.  Now greet the swiftly changing year

     With joy and penitence sincere.

          Rejoice!  Rejoice!  With thanks embrace

          Another year of grace.

2.  Remember now the Son of God

     And how He shed His infant blood.

          Rejoice!  Rejoice!  With thanks embrace

          Another year of grace.

3.  This Jesus came to end sin's war;

     This Name of names for us He bore.

          Rejoice!  Rejoice!  With thanks embrace

          Another year of grace.

4.  His love abundant far exceeds

     The volume of a whole year's needs.

          Rejoice!  Rejoice!  With thanks embrace

          Another year of grace.

5.  With Him as Lord to lead our way

     In want and in prosperity,

          What need we fear in earth or space

          In this new year of grace!

6.  "All glory be to God on high,

       And peace on earth!" the angels cry.

            Rejoice!  Rejoice!  With thanks embrace

            Another year of grace.

7.  God, Father, Son, and Spirit, hear!

     To all our pleas incline Your ear;

          Upon our lives rich blessing trace

          In this new year of grace.

How, Before All Time Began

"For he chose is in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  (Ephesians 1:4-6)

1.  How, before all time began,

         Before the world's creation,

     Could the Lord conceive His plan

         Of mercy and salvation?

     Yet, from that high and timeless place,

     God chose to save our death-bound race:

         Emmanuel--as prophets tell the story

             In Scripture as we know,

         Would veil in flesh His glory

             And dwell with us below!

2.  To the darkness of our night

         And to our need descending,

      Come the Word as Light of Light

         Beyond our comprehending--

     Radiant within the virgin's womb;

     Dawning as day upon our gloom.

          Hail, Jacob's Star! For all You are now shining

              Your beam of grace on earth,

          Your royal might confining

               Within such humble birth.

3.  As the presence of a king

         Brings honor to a city,

     Bethlehem, be glad and sing

          Your Sov'reign's tender pity;

     Join all the angels who rejoice;

     Let ev'ry creature raise its voice--

          Sing "Glory be to God!" for He is solely

              The God who comes to save

          And to our world unholy,

               The Prince of Peace He gave.

4.  Tarshish lords from distant shore,

          Come, pay your tribute to Him;

     Kings of Sheba, kneel before

          The One with worship due Him.

     Rise up, O nations!  See!  Your Lord!

     Long may He live and be adored!

          Oh, may His fame and holy name, transcending

              Each name upon this sphere,

          Be sung with praise unending

               For love so pure and near!

A Stable Lamp Is Lighted

Christ's birth culminates in His death and resurrection.  Even the very stones of creation praise God for such redemptive love.  The text was written by Richard Wilbur (b. 1921) in 1958 for the annual Christmas concert at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.  (I had the joy and privilege of serving as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Middletown, Connecticut from 1985-2000 and was on the campus of Wesleyan University on numerous occasions.)  The text was first published in Advice to a Prophet and Other Poems in 1961 under the title "A Christmas Hymn." In 1987, Richard Wilbur was named second Poet Laureate of the United States, following Robert Penn Warren.  "A Stable Lamp Is Lighted" appeared in Hymnal Supplement 98 paired with the tune ANDUJAR, a tune composed by David Hurd (b. 1950).  The tune was named after Lily Andujar Rogers, a Fellow at the American Guild of Organists and choirmaster of the boys' choir in which David Hurd sang at St. Gabriel's Church, Hollis, Long Island.

1.   A stable lamp is lighted

        Whose glow shall wake the sky;

           The stars shall bend their voices,

         And ev'ry stone shall cry.

         And ev'ry stone shall cry,

             And straw like gold shall shine;

                 A barn shall harbor heaven,

             A stall become a shrine.

2.  This child through David's city

         Shall ride in triumph by;

             The palm shall strew its branches,

         And ev'ry stone shall cry.

         And ev'ry stone shall cry.

             Though heavy, dull, and dumb,

                 And lie within the roadway

             To pave His kingdom come.

3.  Yet He shall be forsaken,

         And yielded up to die;

             The sky shall groan and darken,

        And ev'ry stone shall cry.

        And ev'ry stone shall cry,

            For stony hearts of men:

                God's blood upon the spearhead,

            God's love refused again.

4.  But now, as at the ending,

         The low is lifted high;

             The stars shall bend their voices,

         And ev'ry stone shall cry.

         And ev'ry stone shall cry,

             In praises of the Child

                 By whose descent among us

             The worlds are reconciled.

               

O Sing of Christ

"Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples."  (Psalm 96:1-3)

1.  O sing of Christ, whose birth made known

        The kindness of the Lord,

     Eternal Word made flesh and bone

        So we could be restored.

     Upon our frail humanity

        God's finger chose to trace

     The fullness of His deity,

        The icon of His grace.

2.  What Adam lost, none could reclaim

        And Paradise was barred

     Until the second Adam came

        To mend what sin had marred.

     For when the time was full and right

        God sent His only Son;

     He came to us as life and light

        And our redemption won.

3.  He came to that which was His own,

        But He was not received;

     Yet still through Him God's glory shone,

        And some His name believed.

     To these He gave the right to be

        The heirs of heav'n above,

     Born not of human ancestry,

        But born of God in love. 

4.  Lord Jesus Christ, You deigned to dwell

        Among us here on earth

     As God with us, Emmanuel,

        To bring this holy birth.

     Though rich, You willingly became

        One with our poverty,

     That we might share Your wealth and name

        For all eternity!