Music - Sunday, 25 December 2022 – Christmas Day
Introduction
There are many music choices available each week. You will find music suggestions for each reading drawn from the Lutheran Hymnal, the All Together song books and Together in Song. In addition, we have selected the Top 4 Public Domain hymns, the Top 4 All Together and LHS songs under copyright and the Top 4 Contemporary Music suggestions each week. You may like to mix and match from these lists to suit your context.
Music suggestions are provided for both Proper 2 and Proper 3.
Top 4 Public Domain
If you enjoy traditional hymn singing or your congregation does not have a copyright license, here are our recommended Public Domain hymns for the week:
If a title is hyperlinked, that means that modernised lyrics are available. MP3 backing tracks have been recorded for you to use.
Proper 2: LHS 625 Christians awake - Backing track
Proper 3: LHB 34 O Come All Ye Faithful - Backing track
Proper 2 or 3: LHS 33 Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Backing track
Proper 2 or 3: LHS 633 O Little town of Bethlehem - Backing track
Proper 2 or 3: LHS 627 Joy to the World - Backing track
Top 4 All Together and LHS songs under copyright
Copyright information for the following suggestions has been provided. Please ensure that you are reporting the use of any material under copyright.
Proper 3: LHS 822 God has spoken (CCLI, One Licence)
Proper 2 or 3: AT 126 The Light of Christ (CCLI, One Licence)
Proper 2 or 3: AT 141 (blue) Born in the night (CCLI, One Licence)
Proper 2 or 3: LHS 783 Christ is the world’s light (CCLI, One Licence)
Proper 2 or 3: AT 888 May the feet of God (CCLI, One Licence)
Top 4 Contemporary Music Suggestions
The following songs have been carefully reviewed, and are recommended for use in congregational worship, primarily because they point people to Christ and proclaim the message of his word in music and song for this Sunday in the lectionary cycle. They also fit well with other selection guidelines as highlighted in Tips for song selection and Fact Sheet 6: Music in Worship. While the use of a particular song by a band or organisation is not necessarily an endorsement of that group or the entire body of their work, we recognise that any scriptural song is a Spiritual song that can be used to complement a rich diet of worship for God’s people.
Please note, the hyperlinked Youtube clips are provided to give you a sense of how music can be performed or for personal use. You must always obtain permission from the creators of the music videos and the creators of the song before using clips in worship, unless permission is explicitly stated beneath the video.
Proper 2: Christmas Day - Chris Tomlin with We The Kingdom - CCLI by Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash, Scott Cash
Proper 3: O Come All Ye Faithful/We Adore You - Paul Baloche - CCLI by C. Frederick Oakeley, John Francis Wade, Paul Baloche, Tim Janis
Proper 2 or 3: Hark The Herald Angels Sing - Simple Hymns - CCLI by Charles Wesley, Chris Douglas, Kurtis Parks
Proper 2 or 3: Saviour In A Manger - Emu Music - CCLI by Alana Glover
Proper 2 or 3: Joy To The World (Joyful, Joyful) - Phil Wickham - CCLI by George Frideric Handel, Isaac Watts, Phil Wickham
For children: The Word Became Flesh - Colin Buchanan - CCLI by Colin Buchanan
Song/Hymn suggestions based on the Lectionary readings
Some LHS hymns have modernised lyrics. Click on underlined hymns to see the new lyrics.
Please click here to go to the Modernised Hymns page.
G3, G4 . . . = Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . .ro.; GS = Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH
First Reading: Isaiah 62:6-12
LHS
733 Daughter of Zion G6
737 Prepare the royal highway G4
AT
221 They were waiting (CCLI, One Licence)
434 Sing out with joy (CCLI)
TIS
279 The king of glory comes (v 1)
346 Prepare the royal highway
First Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10
LHS
243 How beauteous are their feet* G5
487 Wake, awake for night is flying (v 2)* G6
AT
TIS
266 Wake, awake for night is flying (v 2)
Second Reading: Titus 3:4-7
LHS
20 O Jesus Christ, all praise to Thee* G4
21 Of the father’s love begotten G7
29 Come, your hearts and voices raising* G4
154 Amazing love that rent the heavens asunder* G4
510 May the grace of Christ our Saviour G7
828 I am baptised – O blessed day GS
831 O baptised people, one and all G3
AT
316 From the air and from the light (CCLI, One Licence)
TIS
290 Of the Father’s love begotten
297 Come, your hearts and voices raising
777 May the grace of Christ our Saviour
Second Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4(5-12)
LHS
20 O Jesus Christ, all praise to Thee* G4
21 Of the Father’s love begotten G7
822 God has spoken by his prophets G6
AT
244 We have seen the Word of Life (CCLI, One Licence)
TIS
113 Now to the Lord a noble song
158 God has spoken by his prophets
290 Of the Father’s love begotten
308 To us a child of noble birth
Gospel Reading: Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20
LHS
20 O Jesus Christ, all praise to Thee* G4
23 From heaven above to earth I come* G4
24 All my heart this night rejoices (vv 1,4-6) G7
25 To shepherds as they watched* G4
29 Come, your hearts and voices raising* G4
33 Hark! the herald angels sing G4
34 O come, all ye faithful G7
46 Angels from the realms of glory (vv 1,2) G7
624 While shepherds watched their flocks by night G7
625 Christians, awake, salute the happy morn G7
626 Come hither, ye children* G7
628 The happy Christmas comes once more G4
629 Silent night, holy night G7
630 O thou holiest, O thou happiest G7
632 Once in royal David’s city G7
633 O little town of Bethlehem G4
634 Away in a manger G7
741 Infant holy G7
742 Jesus, tiny Jesus GS
744 The first Nowell G7
746 What child is this GS
AT
128 I am the light of the world (CCLI, One Licence)
141 Born in the night (CCLI, One Licence)
317 Glory, glory, glory (Public Domain)
318 Glory to God (Public Domain)
338 God in human shoes (v 1 and chorus) (Please use freely for religious purposes, with the following acknowledgement: © Matthew Thiele, 1997. Used with permission from Matthew Thiele.)
371 Singing glory
TIS
292 Infant holy
296 From heaven above
297 Come, your hearts and voices raising
299 While shepherds watched their flocks by night
300 On Christmas night
301 The first Nowell
303 Hark! the herald angels sing
304 O come, all ye faithful
306 Christians awake, salute the happy morn
309 Angels from the realms of glory
311 Silent night
312 Once in royal David’s city
316 O little town of Bethlehem
318 Away in a manger
323 Born in the night
330 O how joyfully (vv 1,2)
773 Glory to God (Taize)
Gospel Reading: John 1:1-14
LHS
19 Come, Thou Saviour of our race * G4
20 O Jesus Christ, all praise to Thee * G4
21 Of the Father’s love begotten G7
26 Praise God the Lord, ye sons of men G4
31 Arise, my soul, sing joyfully * G7
33 Hark! the herald angels sing G4
34 O come, all ye faithful G7
632 Once in royal David’s city G7
633 O little town of Bethlehem G4
783 Christ is the world’s light G6
822 God has spoken by his prophets G6
AT
128 I am the Light of the world (CCLI, One Licence)
132 Lift this Child to the sun (CCLI, One Licence)
141 Born in the night (CCLI, One Licence)
217 Shine, Jesus, shine (CCLI, One Licence)
244 We have seen the Word of life (CCLI, One Licence)
329 This kingdom (CCLI, One Licence)
431 Goodness is stronger than evil (contact Ateliers et Presses de Taizé – see Copyright Listing document for details)
TIS
158 God has spoken by his prophets
246 Christ is the world’s light
255 O Laughing Light, O first-born of creation
258 Praise to you, O Christ our Saviour
290 Of the Father’s love begotten
295 Saviour of the nations, come
298 Let all together praise our God
300 On Christmas night all Christians sing
303 Hark! the herald angels sing
304 O come, all ye faithful
305 Let earth and heaven combine
312 Once in royal David’s city
316 O little town of Bethlehem
323 Born in the night
497 Let all mortal flesh keep silence
675 Lord, the light of your love (Shine, Jesus, shine)
Other Suitable Hymns and Songs:
LHS
136 All glory be to God on high* G7
895 Glory be to God in heaven G6
AT
317 Glory, glory, glory (Public Domain_
318 Glory to God (Public Domain)
431 Glory to God (contact Ateliers et Presses de Taizé – see Copyright Listing document for details)
TIS
142 Glory be to God the Father
221 Glory to God on high
773 Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo
775 Gloria, gloria, gloria
Psalms
PSALM 98
The following paraphrase of Psalm 98 by David Schütz may be sung to the tune Wir pflügen (‘We plough the fields and scatter’, LH 563, TIS 130). If reproducing this version, please put ‘Words (c) David Schütz’ at the beginning or the end of the psalm.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
great wonders he has done!
For he has shown the victory
his mighty power has won.
The ends of earth have all seen
the saving acts of God.
Let all the earth shout praises;
ring out your song with joy!
Sing the Lord a new song,
from earth to heaven above:
‘Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia.’
Sing psalms and play the harp, and
with music praise the Lord!
Come, blow the trumpet! Sound the horn!
Acclaim the Lord your King!
Let seas and all that fills them,
with earth rise up and roar,
let rivers clap their hands, and
let hills ring out their joy!
For musical settings of Psalm 98, see Psalm_98_p163.pdf ; ;
See also TIS 56 O sing a new song to the Lord and 57 Sing to the Lord a new song.
The chorus of ‘Sing a new song unto the Lord’ (ATA 150) by Dan Schutte is based on Psalm 98. The song could be used for the psalm, although the verses are not really a translation of the psalm itself.
Advice for Congregations Without Musicians
LCA Music Resources
Downloadable Hymnal Resources (including downloadable backing tracks and lyric PPTs)
Modernised Hymn Lyrics
Hymnal Index (by tune and scriptural link)
All Together Index (by tune, scriptural link and theme)
Five Songs of Faith
For further Music Resources click here.
OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR CHURCH MUSIC
While the LCA does not necessarily endorse the content of these websites, you may find them helpful in your worship planning.
Together to Celebrate: lectionary based song and hymn suggestions from a variety of sources.
Singing from the Lectionary: has song and hymn suggestions based on the RCL from other hymnals.
Song Select: catalogues CCLI licensed music. You can search for more contemporary songs by theme. If your congregation has a paid subscription you can also download sheet music and other resources.
Hymns Without Words: mp3 downloads of hymn tunes.
Metrical Psalms by Dale Schoening : Psalms set to well known hymn tunes.