ONCE, IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY,
Stood a lowly cattle-shed,
Where a mother laid her baby In a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor and meek and lowly Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly mother In whose gentle arms He lay.
Christian children all should be Mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our childhood’s pattern:
Day by day like us He grew.
He was little, weak and helpless; Tears and smiles like us He knew:
And He feeleth for our sadness, And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love.
For that child, so dear and gentle, Is our Lord in heaven above;
And He leads His children on To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him, but in heaven, Set at God’s right hand on high.
When like stars His children crowned, All in white shall wait around.
Cecil F. Alexander.
____________________________________________________________

(for the psalm)
PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Brothers and sisters, draw near,
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee.
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee:
Ponder anew,
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth nourish thy life and restore thee,
Fitting thee well for the tasks that are ever before thee,
Then to thy need
He like a mother doth speed,
Spreading the wings of grace o’er thee.

Praise to the Lord, who when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee, are raging,
Biddeth them cease,
Turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light,
Chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again:
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Joachim Neander.
_________________________________________________________

SEE, AMID THE WINTER’S SNOW,
Born for us on earth below,
See, the Lamb of God appears,
Promised from eternal years.

  Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!
  Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
  Sing through all Jerusalem:
  Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies,
He who throned in height sublime
Sits amid the cherubim.

Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
What your joyful news today;
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?

‘As we watched at dead of night,
Lo, we saw a wondrous light:
Angels singing, “Peace on earth”
Told us of the Saviour’s birth.’

Sacred Infant, all divine,
What a tender love was Thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this!

Teach, O teach us, holy Child,
By Thy face so meek and mild,
Teach us to resemble Thee
In Thy sweet humility.
     Edward Caswall.
_______________________________________________

AWAY IN A MANGER, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes:
I love You, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus: I ask You to stay,
Close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Your tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with You there.
          J. T. McFarland.
Contributors:   David Carter, Deborah Yeates, Jean Stables, Marie Knight, John and Jan Daniell
Production:   David Carter