Detail of Kempe window, Alfriston St Andrew (dated 1914)
Photo © Julian P Guffogg licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence
The hymn I chose from Sing Praise for Christmas Day is ‘Lift your heart and raise your voice’ by Michael Perry. It’s very much a song for this day (or its eve), as the first and last verses encourage us to lift our hearts and sing praise for the gift of the Christ child, using as a refrain the chant of ‘Gloria!’ often associated with Christmas carols. The second and third verses refer to Jesus in the cattle stall and the shepherds hearing the angels’ song, then coming to see him.
I can do no better at this point than refer you to the short sketch about the shepherds that I wrote to be performed to the Christmas morning service at my own church today. You can download it here.
Merry Christmas!