Wise Men and Gifts for Jesus: Song #26 "In the Bleak Mid-winter"
Wise Men and Gifts for Jesus
Song #26 "In the Bleak Mid-Winter"
I first sang this song in church several years ago. There are two versions of it that I like, one by Gustav Holst and one by Harold Darke. Instead of choosing just one, I decided to blend the two of them together. I sing Holst's version for the 1st two verses then Darke's version for the 3rd verse. They're in the same key so they work together quite nicely. When I last performed it people told me they wouldn't have known I was singing two different songs if I hadn't told them. Here are the lyrics:
"In the bleak mid-winter 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 mid-winter long ago.
2020 Christmas Message from the Lynnwood Stake Presidency
Brothers and sisters, we extend to you our warmest holiday greetings and pray your Christmas season is filled with hope and love.
We know that Christmas is not just about tinsel, ribbon and shopping, unless we have made it so in our lives. Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and focusing on the invaluable things in our lives. It is a time we look for ways to serve others. It is well to remember that he who gives money gives much; he who gives time gives more; but he who gives of himself gives all.
As you celebrate the birth of Christ, may He be reborn within you. The Savior dedicated His life to blessing other people. To Him, there were no strangers or foreigners but fellow brothers and sisters. May it be so with each of us this holiday season and in all seasons. As we take upon us the name of Christ, may we also take upon us His title of Prince of Peace. When Christ gave, His gifts were freedom to the oppressed, forgiveness to the repentant, hope to the despairing, and light in the darkness. He gave us His love and His life. We should strive to give as He gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift. This is the thought Christina Rossetti shared in the poem:
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,
But what can I give Him? I will give Him my heart.
We invite you to follow the invitation of President Monson when he asked us to:
“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”
We testify that as we follow the Savior with full purpose of heart, His promise to always be with us will be realized in our lives this holiday season. May He become our focal point at this Christmas season and always. We testify that He lives today, the babe of Bethlehem—now the risen Lord. He and His Eternal Father love and care for each of us in a sacred and personal way.
We love you and wish for you a very Merry Christmas Season. Please let us know how we might serve you.
The Lynnwood Stake Presidency
Song #26 "In the Bleak Mid-Winter"
I first sang this song in church several years ago. There are two versions of it that I like, one by Gustav Holst and one by Harold Darke. Instead of choosing just one, I decided to blend the two of them together. I sing Holst's version for the 1st two verses then Darke's version for the 3rd verse. They're in the same key so they work together quite nicely. When I last performed it people told me they wouldn't have known I was singing two different songs if I hadn't told them. Here are the lyrics:
"In the bleak mid-winter 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 mid-winter long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him nor earth sustain. Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign: In the bleak mid-winter a stable-place sufficed the Lord God Almighty- Jesus Christ.
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."
I planned the order of how I would post these songs over a month ago. Interestingly enough just yesterday evening my stake presidency sent out a Christmas message quoting a passage from this song, the same one I'd already planned on posting the next morning. It's a lovely message, so I'll go ahead and leave a copy of it here.
2020 Christmas Message from the Lynnwood Stake Presidency
Brothers and sisters, we extend to you our warmest holiday greetings and pray your Christmas season is filled with hope and love.
We know that Christmas is not just about tinsel, ribbon and shopping, unless we have made it so in our lives. Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and focusing on the invaluable things in our lives. It is a time we look for ways to serve others. It is well to remember that he who gives money gives much; he who gives time gives more; but he who gives of himself gives all.
As you celebrate the birth of Christ, may He be reborn within you. The Savior dedicated His life to blessing other people. To Him, there were no strangers or foreigners but fellow brothers and sisters. May it be so with each of us this holiday season and in all seasons. As we take upon us the name of Christ, may we also take upon us His title of Prince of Peace. When Christ gave, His gifts were freedom to the oppressed, forgiveness to the repentant, hope to the despairing, and light in the darkness. He gave us His love and His life. We should strive to give as He gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift. This is the thought Christina Rossetti shared in the poem:
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,
But what can I give Him? I will give Him my heart.
We invite you to follow the invitation of President Monson when he asked us to:
“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”
We testify that as we follow the Savior with full purpose of heart, His promise to always be with us will be realized in our lives this holiday season. May He become our focal point at this Christmas season and always. We testify that He lives today, the babe of Bethlehem—now the risen Lord. He and His Eternal Father love and care for each of us in a sacred and personal way.
We love you and wish for you a very Merry Christmas Season. Please let us know how we might serve you.
The Lynnwood Stake Presidency
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