On Christmas Eve We Celebrate

On Christmas Eve we celebrate

Author: Mary Nelson Keithahn (1998)
Tune: TRUE GIFT
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

On Christmas Eve we celebrate,
with friends throughout the earth,
the night when angels and a star
announced the Savior’s birth,
when shepherds heard the angel-songs
and wise men scanned the skies,
and mother Mary rocked her child
to hush his tiny cries.

We tell these stories once again
beside a Christmas tree,
and light a candle for the child
on his Nativity.
We sing the splendid angel-songs,
and ring a Christmas bell;
shout “Merry Christmas” to our friends
and wish our neighbors well.

But, always there are some who find
no reason to rejoice.
They mourn, and wait in vain to hear
a loved one’s long-lost voice.
The angel-songs and twinkling lights
remind them of their loss;
for them the shiny Christmas tree
becomes a barren cross.

Still others do not celebrate
because they are alone,
by choice or by necessity
away from friends and home.
They worry that there is no room
for lonely folk this night;
they long to hear the angel-songs
and see the star’s love-light.

Incarnate God, make us your hands
to wipe away sad tears,
your arms to welcome those in need,
to calm their anxious fears;
your voice to whisper angel-songs,
your smile to light their way,
until a lonely Christmas Eve
becomes glad Christmas Day.


Source: The Song Lingers On: new hymns for our journey of faith #19

Author: Mary Nelson Keithahn

Mary Nelson Keithahn, a retired United Church of Christ ordained pastor and church educator, has been a curriculum writer-editor, journalist, and lyricist for musical dramas and anthems. She still works out of her home in Rapid City, South Dakota, as a free-lance writer. In 2016 she published Elfie: Adventures on the Midwest Frontier, a chapter book for children, and Embracing the Light: Reflectioins on God’s Holy Word, a collection of meditations for individual or small group use. Augsburg Fortress also published Sing the Stories of God’s NEW People, the third in a trilogy of Bible story-based collections of songs for young children, written with her longtime colleague, John D. Horman. The two have written over a hundred hymns togethe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: On Christmas Eve we celebrate
Title: On Christmas Eve We Celebrate
Author: Mary Nelson Keithahn (1998)
Meter: 8.6.8.6 D
Source: The Song Lingers On

Instances

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Text

The Song Lingers On #19

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