Song for Sunday: There's a Song in the Air!

"There's a tumult of joy o'er the wonderful birth

for the virgin's sweet boy is the Lord of the earth."

This past week I had a dream. The details are fuzzy butI dreamed I was going to visit a "Temple" and at first I thought it was a Jewish temple and I was going to worship there as a guest. I went in and found a service in process. The building was shaped like a cross and I was in an arm of it and couldn't see the officiant. Eventually, I came to realize that I was in a liturgical Christian service, focused on the Christmas story. The building faced East which for some reason was important. 

At the end of the service there was talk of joy. I came to the realization that Christmas is about joy, the joy of birth. I also was reminded that joy is a choice, a matter of attitude. We can relax and allow it to be part of us. 

And so, this song about the joy of birth -- The Birth-- becomes today's Song for Sunday.

   There's a Song in the Air

        There's a song in the air! 
 There's a star in the sky! 
 There's a mother's deep prayer 
 and a baby's low cry! 
 And the star rains its fire 
 while the beautiful sing, 
 for the manger of Bethlehem 
 cradles a King! 

 There's a tumult of joy 
 o'er the wonderful birth, 
 for the virgin's sweet boy 
 is the Lord of the earth. 
 Ay! the star rains its fire 
 while the beautiful sing, 
 for the manger of Bethlehem 
 cradles a King! 

 In the light of that star 
 lie the ages impearled; 
 and that song from afar 
 has swept over the world. 
 Every hearth is aflame, 
 and the beautiful sing 
 in the homes of the nations 
 that Jesus is King! 

 We rejoice in the light, 
 and we echo the song 
 that comes down through the night 
 from the heavenly throng. 
 Ay! we shout to the lovely 
 evangel they bring, 
 and we greet in his cradle 
 our Savior and King! 

                                     ~Josiah G. Holland

                                    (In the Public Domain)

What Christmas songs bring you joy?

How do you bring joy into your experience of Christmas?