{"id":5298,"date":"2015-01-03T17:49:19","date_gmt":"2015-01-03T21:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5298"},"modified":"2015-01-12T10:34:50","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T14:34:50","slug":"carols-from-around-the-world-122814","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5298","title":{"rendered":"Carols from Around the World (12\/28\/14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pastor Jim’s sermon on the Sunday after Christmas (December 28, 2014) took a look at some of the carols that inspire us during the Christmas season.\u00a0 God calls us to sing and even dance.\u00a0 We’re supposed to be happy! And so these carols aren’t simply traditional songs that bring back memories. They are expressions of our faith.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Click the below “play” button to listen to the recording, then scroll down and follow along…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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The scripture for this morning was from Luke 2:8-14…<\/p>\n

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Luke 2:8-14<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
Luke 2:8-14 8 <\/span><\/p>\n

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. <\/span><\/p>\n

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. <\/span><\/p>\n

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. <\/span><\/p>\n

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. <\/span><\/p>\n

12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” <\/span><\/p>\n

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: <\/span><\/p>\n

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”<\/span><\/p>\n

NKJV<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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Carols…<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Christmas<\/a>Imagine Christmas without carols?\u00a0 Even secular music helps carry us through and gets us into the spirit.\u00a0 Music is a gift from God, and He gave it to us to help us connect us with Him.<\/p>\n

Here’s a synopsis of the Christmas Story using carols.\u00a0 Can you count the number of carols?\u00a0 Give a listen, then click on the “answer” when you’ve given it an honest guess…<\/p>\n

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On a silent night, long ago, there was a song in the air that the Savior of the nations had come. The song rang forth that the long expected Jesus had been born to a maid engaged to Joseph.<\/span><\/p>\n

God had chosen angels from the realms of glory to announce the birth of the Messiah, that boy-child of Mary.\u00a0 The angels came to a hillside\u00a0 while shepherds watched their flocks.\u00a0 T’was in the moon of wintertime, and explained to the shepherds that God’s Son was coming into the world in that little town of Bethlehem.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shepherds could have been startled by such heavenly vision that they exclaimed “Hark, the herald angels sing!”<\/span><\/p>\n

Could it be that the prophets are correct that love came down at Christmas?\u00a0 Is it true that He is born?\u00a0 As the message came upon the midnight clear to the shepherds, they were filled with joy to the world.\u00a0 It could be said that the shepherds said that “angels we have heard on high, here in the bleak mid-winter, so good Christian men rejoice!”<\/span><\/p>\n

As the shepherds came and found the infant holy infant lowly wrapped in swaddling clothes laying away in a manger, perhaps they thought to themselves “lo, how a rose e’re blooming.”\u00a0 It is true that as the shepherds saw God’s Son that they said to the Messiah, “O, morning star how fair and bright, is it that on this day, earth shall ring?”<\/span><\/p>\n

As they departed from the manger, clearly the shepherds were saying that we must go- tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ Christ is born.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the shepherds departed, another group of strangers came announcing, “We three kings of orient are, arriving to see what child is this.”\u00a0 The magi gave their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the child so lovely as the friendly beasts looked on.<\/span><\/p>\n

As they departed a different way to return home, they may have been heard saying, “Blessed be the God of Israel, and hail to the Lord’s anointed.”\u00a0 Because of this event, the first noel, we now want to walk as children of the light.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

How many carols did you recognize???\u00a0 Click below for the list…<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Answers<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A total of 30 carols were mentioned in this synopsis.\u00a0 The carols (in “order of appearance”) are listed below.\u00a0 If the carol is included in our United Methodist Hymnal, the page number is shown.<\/p>\n

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  1. \u00a0Silent Night, Holy Night<\/a>\u00a0 (#239)<\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0There’s a Song in the Air<\/a>\u00a0 (#249)<\/li>\n
  3. Savior of the Nations Come<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#214)<\/li>\n
  4. \u00a0To a Maid Engaged to Joseph<\/a>\u00a0 (#215)<\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Angels from the Realms of Glory<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#220)<\/li>\n
  6. \u00a0That Boy-Child of Mary<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. \u00a0While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#236)<\/li>\n
  8. \u00a0Twas in the Moon of Wintertime<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. \u00a0O Little Town of Bethlehem<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#230)<\/li>\n
  10. Hark!\u00a0 The Herald Angels Sing!<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#240)<\/li>\n
  11. Love Came Down at Christmas<\/a>\u00a0 (#242)<\/li>\n
  12. He is Born<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#228)<\/li>\n
  13. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#218)<\/li>\n
  14. Joy to the World<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#246)<\/li>\n
  15. Angels We Have Heard on High<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#238)<\/li>\n
  16. In the Bleak Mid-Winter<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#221)<\/li>\n
  17. Good Christian Men Rejoice!<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#224)<\/li>\n
  18. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#229)<\/li>\n
  19. Away in a Manger<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#217)<\/li>\n
  20. Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#216)<\/li>\n
  21. O Morning Star How Fair and Bright<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#247)<\/li>\n
  22. On this Day Earth Shall Ring<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#248)<\/li>\n
  23. Go Tell it on the Mountain<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#251)<\/li>\n
  24. We Three Kings<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#254)<\/li>\n
  25. What Child is This?<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#219)<\/li>\n
  26. The Friendly Beasts\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 (#227)<\/li>\n
  27. Blessed Be the God of Israel<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#209)<\/li>\n
  28. Hail to the Lord’s Anointed<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#203)<\/li>\n
  29. The First Noel<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#245)<\/li>\n
  30. I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 (#206)<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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    When we connect the carols they really do tell the whole story and point to the manger of Jesus.<\/p>\n

    Carol means, “to Dance,” or a “song of praise and joy.”\u00a0 They were written to be sung in all four season of the year; not just Christmas.<\/p>\n

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