Merry Christmas! Today I have a real treat for you: a Christmas hymn by Mark Preus. He hadn’t settled on a tune for it yet, but on his Facebook page was accepting suggestions. At the end of the Christmas poem, you can see the hymn tune suggestion he liked the most. 🙂
From Mark Preus: The sixth verse is my favorite.
A Christmas Hymn
By Rev. Mark Preus
1 In the darkness shines the Light,
Which no shadows overcame;
Flesh and blood had failed the fight
Till God put on flesh His name –
For a Child is born for us,
Christ, the Lord our Righteousness.
2 He who spoke and all was made
Sleeps where humble creatures fed;
In a lowly manger laid
By a Virgin, as He said.
If He so would choose to live,
What will He to you not give?
3 See from Heaven’s stars appear
What God promised Abraham;
Jacob’s star proclaims Him here –
Shepherds need not bring a lamb;
God provides the spotless One –
Woman’s Seed and God’s own Son.
4 All is here that man has lost,
Wrapped in dust from which we came;
All the woe our sinning cost
God is Man as His to claim;
He, who spoke with Sinai’s awe,
Takes our place beneath the Law.
5 There is not so dark a sin
Which this Light will not reveal
Not on you, but now on Him,
With His wounds your wounds to heal;
Born to die to take away
All that makes the sinner stray.
6 Satan, would you now accuse?
See my Flesh and Blood above;
What with lies you made me lose,
Now is lifted up by love
To the Father’s highest throne
In the flesh God loves to own.
7 Come, my heart, by earth weighed down;
In the manger is your rest.
Here in hay is heaven’s crown;
All who trust in Him are blest.
Heaven here God’s glory sees
And for men goodwill and peace.
8 Though the flow’r of flesh may wilt,
Here my heart in faith will bloom;
God is flesh to take my guilt,
And to leave a garden’s tomb,
Giving me for death’s decay
Life that will not fade away.
9 Jesus, from Your manger speak
Peace the world could never give;
With Your Light my darkness break;
Meek You are, meek make me live
Till I see Your glory shine
In the mansions You make mine.
JESU JESU, DU MEIN HIRT is the best one shown yet. You can find that here.
PS. Sorry I didn’t originally edit Rev. Preus’s Facebook post! I forgot I hadn’t! Rev. Preus is the poet here!!