The Son of God became a refugee

 Here's a new Christmas hymn inspired by current events.  It might be most effectively sung by a soloist.

A weary couple lodged within a stable,
the only space where they could spend the night.
Were other trav'lers happy to be able
to keep her labor out of mind and sight?
But choirs of angels heard the mother's weeping,
and heaven rang with songs of peace on earth.
They went unheard by those in comfort sleeping,
for Jesus came among the outcasts at his birth.

An angel came to Joseph in his dreaming
and warned him so his family could flee.
As they escaped king Herod's evil scheming,
the son of God became a refugee.
How many children die without such warning?
How many mothers will not be consoled,
their voices choked with anger, tears, and mourning,
for songs unsung and stories never to be told?


Suggested tune: LONDONDERRY AIR (Oh, Danny Boy)
Adam M. L. Tice, November 19, 2015
©GIA Publications, Inc.
Permission is granted for free use through January 10, 2016. Churches or institutions with onelicense.net accounts should report any use.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let Speeches Fall Silent--a hymn after the Orlando massacre

Image
Permission is granted for free use of this hymn during October, 2017. Here is a new text, along with two possible tunes. Click on the tune images for full-sized versions.  This hymn may be freely used through July 31, 2016. Let speeches fall silent and platitudes cease from hawkers of violence they brand as “peace.” Let people who suffer find places to speak, and holders of power give way to the weak. Let teachers of hatred, suspicion, and fear, and those who would kill for the views they hold dear, be turned from their ways and disarmed of their wrath to walk on a new, more compassionate path. Forgive us the times we neglected to act; forgive our excuses for courage we lacked. God, teach us the wisdom that leads us to grace: your image is found in our enemy’s face. Adam M. L. Tice, June 15, 2016 ©2016 GIA Publications, Inc.
Read more

The Son of God Became a Refugee (additions)

Image
2017 update: Here's Tony Alonso's recording of his arrangement: https://www.facebook.com/antonioalonso/videos/10154988084220811/ I've been amazed and humbled by how quickly "A Weary Couple" has spread. A number of people have raised good questions about where the text ended. The conclusion was, admittedly, rather dark and difficult. Several folks suggested adding a stanza to provide some relief or hope. I have resisted that urge for several reasons. Most importantly, I did not want to diminish the validity of the suffering addressed in stanza two by offering too easy of a resolution immediately afterwards. My sense was that the questions should instead be answered by a bit of space, probably some silence, and further response in the form of another song or prayer. (Another reason to resist adding a third verse was mostly practical: LONDONDERRY AIR is really long, and could get tedious with that many repetitions!) A note from composer Clay Zambo provided me with...
Read more

Contemplating Craft and Psalms

Image
I had a delightful time at the Calvin Symposium on Worship. It was an international, intercultural, and interdenominational feast. The music was exhilarating and sometimes challenging--and often a bit loud! I was privileged to be a resource for a songwriter's retreat along with Greg Scheer and Sandra McCracken. When I saw the stack of submissions from retreat participants, I knew that this would be a learning experience for me. All but a handful of the songs were written in a decidedly "contemporary" idiom. (I use quotation marks because everything, when it is written, is by definition "contemporary." I'm using the term here to describe what's often known as "Contemporary Christian Music," or CCM--typically guitar-driven songs, often with through-composed, non-strophic lyrics.) What would I, as a writer of hymn texts, contribute to the conversation? Greg and Sandra are far more knowledgeable about that world, and I loved hearing their wisdom...
Read more