Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem....

I have to tell you that this morning in church....I...had...a moment. There we were singing Christmas song after Christmas song when suddenly I couldn't sing anymore. It happened while we were singing "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" as I reached this chorus for the second time:

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;

My heart just took my mind right to the little town of Gulu that, very soon, I'll be spending my days and nights...and Christmas in. I thought about the children there--these little ones in the picture above. I thought about how beautiful it would be for these little ones to experience "deep and dreamless sleep", rather than have to worry about where to sleep or, to worry all through the night about so many other things no child should ever worry about.

As the rest of the church sang on, I decided this hymn was going to be my prayer for the children's Christmas. Sing it and pray it with me, won't you?

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell,
O come to us, abide with us,
Out Lord Emmanuel!

Thanks, friends.

See you in the next blog,
Jen