Christmastide: “Wondrous Childhood”

 

The Child grew. (Luke 2:40)

During Christmastide the church celebrates how it is that “the Child grew”—just like us, only divine. On this Sunday Morning, maybe we best celebrate how the child grew with song. I heard it first a few Christmases ago when on cultured friends took us to high church to hear a rendition of Christmas songs as traditionally sung by the Cambridge King’s College Choir.

The choir proceeded into the sanctuary singing “Once in Royal David’s City.”  It was all new to me. I couldn’t catch the words—they sang in British; but, there was something about the beauty and wonder of it that caused me to tear up. I looked to my right and noticed Linda tearing up, and on my other side, the stranger sitting next to me teared up a mumbled “Beautiful.”

There are some songs best sung by the congregation, like “Joy to the World,” for example. There are other songs, like “Once in Royal David’s City,” that are best sung by the King’s College Choir; and, we profit best by staying out of it and just allowing the beauty and wonder of it to have its way with us—maybe even to move us to tears. I’ll attach lyrics—it’s sung in British, remember?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT3cfXd3Shk

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.

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, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

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.

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.

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;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.