Glory be to God on high...

Today I put way the fall decorations to make way for the CHristmas ones. It's certainly beginning to feel a lot like Christmas with below-freezing temperatures, so it might as well begin to look like it, too! And as I do so, the Bob Kauflin arrangement of the Charles Wesley Carol, Glory Be to God on High, is running through my mind. I share the original, wonderful lyrics below. You can hear a sample here.

Glory be to God on high,
And peace on earth descend;
Now God comes down, He bows the sky,
And shows Himself our Friend!
God the invisible appears,
God the Blest, the Great I AM,
He sojourns in this vale of tears,
And Jesus is His Name.

Him by the angels all adored,
Their Maker and their King;
Lo, tidings of their humbled Lord
They now to mortals bring;
Emptied of His majesty,
Of His dazzling glories shorn,
Our being’s Source begins to be,
And God Himself is born!

See the eternal Son of God
A mortal Son of Man,
Now dwelling in an earthly clod
Whom Heaven cannot contain!
Stand amazed, ye heavens, look at this!
See the Lord of earth and skies
Low humbled to the dust He is,
And in a manger lies!

So do the sons of men rejoice
The Prince of Peace proclaim,
With Heaven’s host lift up our voice,
And shout Immanuel’s Name;
Our knees and hearts to Him we bow;
Of our flesh, and of our bone,
See—Jesus is our Brother now,
And God is all our own!

May you all be rejoicing today, as I am, Gentle Readers!