Monday, December 31, 2007

Solo Christo!

Original tune: The Strife is O’er; Giovanni P. Da Palestrina, 1525-1994; adapt. William Henry Monk, 1823-1889.
Acts 4:12


How irresistible His grace that drew me out of sin’s dark place.
No more can I resist his face; Sola Gratia!

Now Christ alone becomes my all by faith received upon his call
Transforming light, I cannot fall; Sola Fide!

No other name can men be saved apart from Christ, God’s wrath remains.
Turn now to Christ in humble praise; Solo Christo!

He who began this work in you will surely raise all things anew.
The Triune God, all glory due; Hallelujah!

Thy word alone upholds all things, alone can make my heart to sing.
O death, O grave, where now thy sting; Solo Christo!

Not To Us

Original tune: No, Not One; George C. Hugg, 1848-1907.
Ps. 115:1, Col. 1:16f.

In Christ we move and we have our being,
Not to us, not to us.
But to His name do we give all glory,
Not to us, not to us.

Chorus:
By him all things hold together
All things high and all things low
Every inch of creation bending
Not to us, not to us.

Every moment of hist’ry written
Not to us, not to us.
All to the praise of the Christ who’s risen
Not to us, not to us.

Chorus:

While we are here we must tell the story
Not to us, not to us.
To spread the fame of our Savior’s glory
Not to us, not to us.

Chorus:

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Behold, the Gift

Original tune: God of Our Fathers (National Hymn); George W. Warren, 1828-1902

Behold, the gift of God has come to man,
One silent night his glory filled the land.
Below was heard, the promised Savior’s cry.
The Triune God, a myst'ry wrapped inside.

Christ is the branch of Jesse’s lineage.
He is the son of God’s own righteousness.
Born unto us, oppressed by injustice.
Brightest of light shone forth in our darkness.

From majesty to manger now he lay.
As tender shoot, he grew to show the way.
He would be crushed for our transgressions all.
The Son of Man come ransom sinner’s fall.

Born unto us, this child will lead us home.
Lead us to light, from sin no more roam.
Behold our God has come to dwell in us.
Immanuel, forever God with us.

For Unto Us

Original tune: Lift Up Your Heads; Thomas Williams’ Psalmodia Evangelica, (Truro) 1789.


For unto us the Christ is born, behold the Savior, we adore.
The Creator transcends our space; the wisdom of his wondrous grace.

He came to live among his own; he had no place to call his home.
We heard his voice, we saw his face; the beauty of his loving grace.

He knew us all, we knew him not; twas born to fill the Father’s plot.
A cruel world, his arms embrace; the power of amazing grace.

Our hope is born, the light of men, how Jesus came to die for sin.
The Ransomed sing from ev’ry race; the music of his saving grace.