SING CHRISTMAS

Not such a

SILENT

NIGHT 1

An invitation to sing Welcome to this special carols event. All over the country communities are gathering together to sing carols, celebrating the birth of Jesus. HOPE brings churches together across the denominations, supporting them as they share God’s love in practical ways with their communities. And we encourage Christians to be ready to explain why they follow Jesus. Ask a follower of Jesus to tell you more about the person we are singing about today. Find out for yourself why Jesus is worth following. Roy Crowne Executive Director, HOPE

May I give you a warm welcome on behalf of Sports Chaplaincy UK. As a charity we are so excited to be partnering once again with HOPE and Tearfund, helping share the good news of God’s love this Christmas in stadiums up and down our nation. There are over 350 Sports Chaplains in the UK working across a wide variety of sports - such as football, rugby and horse racing - and with all abilities and ages, men and women. Each chaplain is doing a great job, serving their local sports community by providing pastoral and spiritual care to all and making a positive difference. Warren Evans National Director, Sports Chaplaincy UK

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It’s such a joy to come together and celebrate at Christmas. As we gather with loved ones I’m reminded of those living far from home as a result of conflict or disaster. Time and time again I hear stories from people who have lost everything, yet have peace in the knowledge that they are still with those they love. So as we spend time with those we hold dear, let’s give thanks to God for all he provides. Tearfund is passionate about ending poverty. We go to the places of greatest need, responding to disasters and helping communities to see their own potential to overcome poverty. We won’t stop until poverty stops. Jane Pleace Director, Tearfund

Jesus - joy, strength & friendship For so many of us, Christmas is a magical time of year. A time of peace, of joy, of families and friendship. For Christians though this season means so much more. It’s the time when we remember the birth of Jesus, when God made his dwelling amongst us. It’s my faith in Jesus that has so often brought light to a dark path, joy to a cold mountain, strength to a failing body. He has not only been a pointer of the way, but also a backbone, a companion, a friend. This year Sing Christmas events are taking place around the country in churches, stadiums, pubs and even over the airwaves! Wherever you join, may you know His light, his joy, his strength, his friendship. Have a great Christmas and a truly happy New Year.

Bear Grylls Tearfund Supporter

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Why Christmas?

His country was under Roman rule. Because Jesus’s life was threatened, his parents fled to Egypt as refugees not long after he was born. When it was safe to return, they made their home in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. His father was a carpenter and for the first 30 years of his life Jesus lived in an ordinary home. He worked as a carpenter too. Then, for three years, he travelled about the country showing people what God is like. He invited people to follow him and learn from him. He is still inviting people to follow him today.

Christmas is a season of joy and celebration. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, whose life has changed our world. He was born in a small Middle Eastern town called Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. The Bible tells us how his birth was announced by an angel who said that Mary, his mother, would ‘give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’. Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua, which means ‘the Lord saves’.

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When three days after his death on the cross his followers met him alive again, those frightened and defeated men became fearless and joyful messengers.

He had no money, wrote no books, had no army and wielded no political power. He travelled no more than 200 miles in any direction, mainly on foot. He was executed by being nailed to a wooden cross at the age of 33. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, just as he said he would. Today billions of people around the world worship Jesus and describe him as ‘Saviour’.

Their message of the good news about Jesus is the reason we are singing carols here today. More importantly, it is the reason why all over the world there are Christians who know what it means to meet the living Jesus, and who believe that he alone has the key to life.

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1. Silent Night (Christ The Saviour Is Born) Words: Joseph Mohr (tr. J. F. Young) Music: F. X. Gruber Arrangement & new lyrics: Ben Cantelon & Nick Herbert

1. Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and Child Holy Infant, so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace

4. Silent night, holy night God’s great love giving life Let the world together rejoice Sing forever with one voice Heaven’s hope is here Heaven’s hope is here

2. Silent night, holy night Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia Christ the Saviour is born Christ the Saviour is born

Christ the Saviour Christ the Saviour is born Peace and hope have come Through Jesus Christ, the Son Christ the Saviour Christ the Saviour is born Peace and hope have come Through Jesus Christ, the Son

3. Silent night, holy night Son of God, Love’s pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

LIFE-GIVING LOVE

Jesus said

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’

Austrian priest Joseph Mohr, who wrote the carol Silent Night, packed a lot of meaning into three short verses: a miraculous birth, shepherds, the angelic choir – all focusing on God’s love and something new; Mohr called it ‘redeeming grace’. Songwriters Ben Cantelon and Nick Herbert have put that thought into more contemporary language in their new verse and chorus for this much-loved carol. Just like the soldiers in 1914 who stopped fighting and sang Silent Night, we too can sing about ‘God’s great love, giving life’.

(John 3:16-17)

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Copyright © 2014 Thankyou Music & HOPE Together. CCLI Number: 7021184



Visit christianity.org.uk to find out more.

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2. Away in a Manger

3. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

4. In the Bleak Midwinter

Words: Anonymous

Words: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788; alt. by George Whitefield and others

Words: Christina G. Rossetti, 1830-1894

1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. 2. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes; I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky and stay by my side until morning is nigh. 3. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray; bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

Jesus said ‘I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.’

1. Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King, peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th’ angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King!” 2. Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord; late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’ incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King!” 3. Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King!”

(John 14:18)

‘reconciled’ made friends again ‘incarnate Deity’ God in the flesh ‘Emmanuel’ God with us 8

Jesus said ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.’

1. In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

(John 14:1)

2. Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

5. Joy to the World Words: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

1. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing.

3. Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

2. Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns! Let all their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy.

4. What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

3. He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love.

‘cherubim and seraphim’ angelic beings 9

6. O Come, All Ye Faithful

5. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to thee be all glory given. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:

Words: John F. Wade; tr., by Frederick Oakeley and others

1. O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem. Come and behold him, born the King of angels;

(Refrain)

‘grace’ undeserved help

Refrain: O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

7. O Little Town of Bethlehem

2. God of true God, Light from Light Eternal, lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Son of the Father, begotten not created;

2. He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall. With the poor, the mean and lowly lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3. 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.

3. For he is our childhood’s pattern; day by day, like us he grew; he was little, weak, and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew; and he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness.

4. 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, our Lord Emmanuel!

4. And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above; and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

Words: Phillips Brooks, 1835-1893

1. 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.

(Refrain) 3. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, glory in the highest;

2. O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth! For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep, their watch of wondering love.

(Refrain) 4. See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze; we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; (Refrain)

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‘begotten’ fathered

5. Not in that poor, lowly stable, with the oxen standing by, we shall see him; but in heaven, set at God’s right hand on high; when like stars his children crowned, all in white shall wait around.

‘exultation’ jump for joy

8. Once in Royal David’s City Words: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1818-1895

1. Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed; Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little child.

‘royal David’s city’ another name for Bethlehem

‘redeeming love’ love that pays what’s due

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9. We Three Kings Words: John H. Hopkins Jr., 1820-1891

1. We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

4. Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

10. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks Words: Nahum Tate, 1652-1715

5. Thus spake the seraph and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful song:

(Refrain)

1. While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground; the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.

6. “All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace; good will henceforth from heaven to earth begin and never cease!”

5. Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice: Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies.

Refrain: O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

(Refrain)

2. Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown him again, King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.

2. “Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind. “Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind.

‘gold’

a gift for royalty

(Refrain)

‘frankincense’

a gift for a priest

3. Frankincense to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, voices raising, worshipping God most high.

‘myrrh’

an embalming oil

(Refrain)

‘swaddling bands’

3. “To you, in David’s town, this day is born of David’s line a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, and this shall be the sign:

bandage-like wrapping around a new baby

4. “The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapped in swaddling bands, and in a manger laid.”

‘seraph’ a celestial or heavenly being

Burning incense or frankincense creates a fragrant smoke which symbolises our prayers rising to God.The line ‘Incense owns a Deity nigh’ is about Jesus who is close to these wise men who have travelled to worship him as God. So the line in the carol could be paraphrased as ‘Incense representing our prayers - belongs to this child before us, who is God in the flesh.’

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When are we going home Daddy? Millions of people across the world are struggling to survive as refugees, far from home. Conflict, disasters and climate change are uprooting entire communities and scattering them across the nations. People may spend years in displacement camps, in limbo, thrown together with strangers. Tearfund works with people like these, to help them rebuild their lives and restore their hope.

‘They wouldn’t let us cross the checkpoint to take him to hospital,’ says Abu. ‘His name was Hamed.’ They were heartbroken. After a time, Abu’s wife fell pregnant again. But seven months into her pregnancy, she went into early labour. Her sister and mother-in-law tried to take her to hospital – but they were stopped at a checkpoint. ‘She passed away, with the baby in her womb.’ Abu begins to weep. ‘I wish that I had died instead of her.’ As the bombing intensified, women and children were evacuated from Homs at the army’s insistence so Abu sent his two surviving children out of the city with their grandmother.

Abu and Hussein live in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, in a tent that has been their home for two years.

Now, at least, their basic needs are met. ‘Just now (Hussein) said to me, “When are we going back to Syria to visit Mum and take her some flowers?” I tell him, “As soon as possible.”’ Abu’s story is not unique. It is being played out in different families, in different countries across the Middle East. Tearfund and its church partners on the ground are doing what they can to meet people’s diverse and complex needs, providing everything from kitchen sets to trauma counselling.

£5 COULD HELP PROVIDE PEOPLE LIKE ABU WITH ESSENTIAL FOOD AND HYGIENE SUPPLIES FOR A MONTH.

At Christmas, we thank God for the gift of his precious son, Jesus, and the promise of new life in him. It’s a time to thank God for all we have and remember those less fortunate than us. Please give what you can to support Tearfund’s work reaching out to the poorest, most vulnerable people across the world, whether they are refugees, struggling farmers or earthquake survivors. Thank you.

Text PEACE to 70660 to bring practical help and comfort this Christmas. Text costs £5 plus network charge. Tearfund receives 100% of your donation. Obtain bill payer’s permission. Customer care 020 8977 9144. Reg charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) Reg charity No. SC037624 (Scotland)

‘I struggled a lot before finding my kids. I was crying, praying they were alive. When I met them again, I felt that the whole world was mine! I thank God that he reunited us.’

Home used to be a place called Homs. But home is a long way away and a distant memory, now overlaid with the loss and trauma they suffered there.

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE Abu has since remarried. His second wife is a good woman who treats his children as her own. They have just had a daughter, named after Abu’s first wife. Between them, they have five children and they also care for Abu’s orphaned niece and her grandmother. Twelve of them share the same tent.

‘We were lost when we left Syria,’ says Abu, who is 28. ‘We were used to living among our people, our families and friends. We felt like strangers.’ A PAINFUL PAST Not so very long ago, Abu lived with his wife and three children in a two-storey house, with two cars.

The family was going hungry because Abu’s work as a day labourer is so sporadic. So the monthly food packages Tearfund provides for them - and for many other vulnerable families in Bekaa - are a lifeline.

Then the fighting started and Homs became a battleground. Their baby was only 25 days old when a sniper’s bullet hit him in the stomach.

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Photos: Stella Chetham/Tearfund

Thank you for coming to sing Christmas carols with us We hope you will keep this souvenir programme as a gift from HOPE, Tearfund and Sports Chaplaincy UK. You can read four accounts of Jesus’ life story in the Bible, written by four of his first followers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You can find out more about the Christian faith at www.christianity.org.uk or at a Christian church near you. ‘Mary… will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus*, because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1:20-21) * Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means ‘the Lord saves’. His birth fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said about 700 years earlier.

(Isaiah 7:14)

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Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicised, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® 31403-(0915)