The opening verses of Psalm 19 present the heavenly bodies and their movement as a universal witness to the glory of God that is understood by people of every language. The language connects day and night as a continuous presentation. The words suggest energy, strength, joy, and light.
So many of the Psalms and scriptures have been made into wonderful works of classical music. Franz Joseph Haydn was one of these composers.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” ~ Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
A setting of ‘The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God’ from Haydn’s Creation.
More about Haydn’s work, The Creation, can be found on Wikipedia
O come, O come, Emmanuel is the mid-19th century translation by John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin of the Ecclesiastical Latin text “Veni, veni, Emmanuel”.
The text is based on the Biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Emmanuel (Literally: God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did’st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Isaac Watts wrote the words to “Joy to the World” in 1719, based on Psalm 98 in the Bible. The hymn originally glorified Christ’s triumphant return at the end of the age, rather than a song celebrating His first coming. Only the second half of Watts’ lyrics are still used today.
The music was adapted and arranged to Watts’ lyrics by Lowell Mason in 1839 from an older melody which was then believed to have originated from Handel. The name “Antioch” is generally used for the hymn tune.
As of the late 20th century, “Joy to the World” was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.
Get your copy or The Upper Room at Pender UMC each month in regular or large print versions.
The Upper Room magazine’s mission is to provide a model of practical Christianity, accessible in varied formats, to help people feel invited and welcomed into God’s presence to:
listen to scripture as God’s personal message, linking their stories to God’s story;
commune with God in prayer;
see their daily choices and small acts of obedience as part of God’s work;
realize our connection through Christ as a universal family of believers;
encounter the living Christ and be transformed into Christ’s likeness.
From Chuck Knows Church. The Upper Room. It’s the place where Jesus had his last meal with his disciples, but it’s also the world’s most widely read daily devotional guide. Chuck explains the significance of this “little book”.
Brian Stevenson, Pender UMC Director of Music, presents a series of hymn-based devotions on Wednesdays during Lent.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…2 days ago
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