Stop, Look and Listen
Stop…the rushing is ended.
Look…the signs all around you.
Listen…the angels are calling:
Stop…Look…and Listen now!
You’ve left the Hills of Buckland, for the hills of Bethlehem
It’s time to slow down to a shepherd’s pace.
Leave all the crowds behind, set your soul upon its knees
And then prepare to see the Savior’s face.
No tasks left now to be done except to find the precious One -- The Son of God who’s full of truth and grace.
Stop…the rushing is ended.
Look…the signs all around you.
Listen…the angels are calling:
Stop…Look…and Listen now!
You lift your weary eyes up, you’re in a crowd again.
But this one has a very different feel.
A sanctuary beckoned, you yearned to enter in…
Where images of God would be revealed.
Candles flicker, babies giggle, choirs sing, and children wiggle; These are the signs that make Christmas so real…
Stop…the rushing is ended.
Look…the signs all around you.
Listen…the angels are calling:
Stop…Look…and Listen now!
You hear the carols sung, as they drift across the night
Then tumble gently to your waiting soul.
The sounds will not be hushed, God’s voice is coming through -- reaching out from centuries ago.
The heavenly host is heard in every holy word
New life begins each time the story’s told!
Stop…the rushing is ended.
Look…the signs all around you.
Listen…the angels are calling:
Stop…Look…and Listen now!
© Chuck Ericson 2003 and 2007
Jesus, Born to Set Us Free
Jesus, born to set us free, we receive You joyfully!
And like magi from the east, there’s one yearning we all seek:
Break the chains that once had hold – on our bodies, minds and souls. Through Your grand nativity – Jesus, come and set us free.
Jesus, born to set us free, look inside our souls to see…
How we stay back timidly – missing opportunities.
Scared that some may not approve – of the things we say and do. From these outside forces, please, Jesus come and set us free.
Jesus, born to set us free, give us life abundantly!
Burdened not by guilty tears, or regrets from long-gone years.
Clear our minds and cast away – thoughts that hold us down today. From our sins grant true release – Jesus, come and set us free.
Jesus, born to set us free, show us what we each can be!
Blending our humanity – with Your pure divinity.
By Your Spirit lead us on – from Bethlehem to Easter’s dawn. Only God to serve and please –
Jesus, come and set us free.
© Chuck Ericson 2004 and 2007
Welcome, Wonder and Wishes
Sometimes it seems that the doors we would open
Are locked up tight – not what we’d been hoping
And the gate out front says “Members Only”
You’re left feeling empty and sullen and lonely…
But just summon up Christmas in your soul– if you are able, and remember that there is no door on the stable…
Come in, come in – follow the light!
That beams from the stable with wondrous delight...
Come in, come in – Let Christ welcome you:
Come, cross the threshold where every good wish comes true.
And there are those days where time seems to drag;
The sky has turned grey and your zeal starts to lag.
Nothing appears to be new, nothing’s bright;
The child once within you has since taken flight…
But just summon up Christmas – and your eyes fill with wonder -- Of magi and shepherds and a star to stand under…
Come in, come in – follow the light!
That beams from the stable with wondrous delight...
Come in, come in – Let Christ welcome you:
Come, cross the threshold where every good wish comes true.
And when your dreams have all lost their fire,
You’ve given up wishing for what you desire;
The flame of your spirit can ignite once more --
If you go to the place dreams and wishes are born…
So summon up Christmas – do not delay,
And put all your wishes beside Christ on the hay!
Come in, come in – follow the light!
That beams from the stable with wondrous delight...
Come in, come in – Let Christ welcome you:
Come, cross the threshold where every good wish comes true.
Welcome and wonder and wishes abound,
So don't hesitate, come gather 'round...
The manger where Jesus has three gifts for you:
Welcome and wonder and wishes come true!
Come in, come in – follow the light!
That beams from the stable with wondrous delight...
Come in, come in – Let Christ welcome you:
Come, to the threshold where every good wish comes true.
© Chuck Ericson 2005 and 2007
Pause
They looked at the Child, just a few days old;
They looked at the Child, and they did behold…
A baby who seemed as other ones do,
An infant so frail, so small and so new.
But they paused to fall down – to look deep in His eyes;
They paused to look deeper and their spirits did rise!
For then they did know that this Child was unique…
The Savior of all, whom God’s people seek.
They paused and saw hope shine forth from His face,
They paused – saw forgiveness and fullness of grace.
They stayed long enough to worship and sing,
Looked deep in His eyes, saw the joy that He brings.
So, pause with your friends and your family, as well;
Pause before anger and ill feelings swell.
The ones you adore – look deep in their eyes…
Look deeply as you would look at the Christ!
Pause, for God’s Spirit dwells in their souls,
Pause, and look deep, it will help keep you whole.
You’ll not be consumed by vengeance and hate –
You’ll feel God’s peace if you just pause and wait.
Pause and see hope shine forth from His face,
Pause, see forgiveness and fullness of grace.
Don’t go without pausing to worship and sing,
Look deep in His eyes, see the joy that He brings!
© Chuck Ericson 1984 and 2007
The Promise is Fulfilled
Hear from the book of the generations of Abram and David, the king; About the Messiah who came in their line, in celebration we sing!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Promise is fulfilled!
And in a dream to Joseph appeared a messenger divine,
To promise him that he would soon be a father in good time!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Promise is fulfilled!
The angel’s task was simply this: Isaiah’s vision to tell;
Of how God promised to come to us in a Child “Immanuel”!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Promise is fulfilled!
The magi saw a promise, too, in the east beneath a star,
And they rejoiced when they saw the One who’d beckoned them from afar!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Promise is fulfilled!
This night the Promise is proclaimed – again for all to hear; That God’s great love our spirits shall fill, and Christ will always be near!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Promise is fulfilled!
© Chuck Ericson 1986 and 2007
God Is With Us
Before Creation was in full motion, we were alive in the Master’s heart; Even before the heavens and ocean, God has been with us from the start!
Yes, God is with us, God is with us, now and forever, and so we sing! God is with us, God is with us, everywhere and in everything!
Then came our ancestors, Eve and Adam; they were alone with the sly, old snake; Till God came walking right up beside them – Oh, God was with them when they first ate!
Yes, God is with us, God is with us, now and forever, and so we sing! God is with us, God is with us, everywhere and in everything!
On through the wilderness and the exile, back to the homeland long ago; God was there for each step and each mile, sending the manna and comforting woes.
Yes, God is with us, God is with us, now and forever, and so we sing! God is with us, God is with us, everywhere and in everything!
Then on a bright night during enrollment, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. There came a promise right at that moment, God would be with us until the end!
Yes, God is with us, God is with us, now and forever, and so we sing! God is with us, God is with us, everywhere and in everything!
God was with us from the beginning, in our good deeds and also our sinning; Setting us right when we’ve strayed or fallen…always around when we begin calling!
This is what we celebrate at Christmas, and carry with us each day of our lives; Remembering that God’s always with us in the new spirit of Jesus Christ!
Yes, God is with us, God is with us, now and forever, and so we sing! God is with us, God is with us, everywhere and in everything!
© Chuck Ericson 1998 and 2007
Dreaming Again
O, blessed Israel, Yahweh’s delight, you gave us dreams that live on through the night;
Showed us a God who won’t slumber or sleep, watches our eyes close and then starts to speak.
That is when Solomon’s wisdom arrived, and Jacob’s ladder stretched up to the sky.
Thank God for dreamers who wake up and then –
Spread the good news and start dreaming again!
Dreaming again…Dreaming again…
Feel how the spirit caresses our souls…
When we’re dreaming again.
Hopes for a Savior had frozen in time; centuries passed and not one single sign.
Stars over Nazareth sparkling and warm – melted these hopes between nightfall and morn.
Joseph, the carpenter, restlessly slept…then came an angel who spoke, and then left.
All Joseph’s fretfulness came to an end –
His spirit calmed amidst dreaming again!
Dreaming again…Dreaming again…
Feel how the spirit caresses our souls…
When we’re dreaming again.
What will take place when we soon close our eyes this special night when we welcome the Christ?
Dare we to dream as our ancestors did…ent’ring the realm where God won’t be hid?
Mangers of love swirling round in our minds…bright stars ahead telling us where to find…
Joy in a baby and one lifelong friend –
Oh, what a night to be dreaming again!
Dreaming again…Dreaming again…
Feel how the spirit caresses our souls…
When we’re dreaming again.
© Chuck Ericson 1992 and 2007
What Did Mary Say?
What do you think they talked about…this young couple barely betrothed...As they came near to Bethlehem, so worn out and long on the road?
Maybe it wasn’t a silent night. Maybe they talked all the way. If you could hear them when they arrived…What would you hear them say?
Maybe Joseph said: “At last the journey’s over!”
Maybe Mary said: “It’s just begun!!”
What of the kings who traveled far…riding west toward the light...bearing their gifts with cautious hope, fearing great Herod’s might?
Maybe they bent down to their knees, Maybe at last they felt safe. If you could hear them when they arrived…What would you hear them say?
Maybe the kings said: “At last the journey’s over!”
Maybe Mary said: “It’s just begun!!”
What of the day we now call Good…Friday when the sun’s light withdrew...Earth was shaking and boulders split, and all of the disciples flew?
Maybe they gathered back again, after they sorrowed three days. If you had heard them at Easter’s dawn …what would you hear them say?
Maybe the disciples said: “At last the journey’s over!”
Maybe Jesus said: “It’s just begun!!”
What is it like for us theses days…has anything really much changed...When we arrive at Christmas Eve, do we still sing the same refrain?
Maybe we think we’re different now, maybe we think we have learned. Or like Joseph and all the rest…do we think that this is the end?
If we say: “At last the journey’s over!”
Mary tells us: “No, It’s just begun!!”
If we say: “At last the journey’s over!”
Mary tells us: “No, It’s just begun!!”
If we say: “At last the journey’s over!”
Mary tells us: “No, It’s just begun!!”
© Chuck Ericson 2002 and 2007
Friend of the Night
It was at night, across the borderline That Joseph came…dear Mary by his side.
To Bethlehem, under heaven’s awesome light to birth their Child, the Savior Jesus Christ.
He comes at night at just the right time
He comes at night when all is on the line
In every age from beginning to the end
He comes at night like your very best friend.
Another night, the place: Gethsemane the Savior came and bent down to His knees.
His heart was torn – deciding what was right…He saved our souls on that Thursday night.
He comes at night at just the right time
He comes at night when all is on the line
In every age from beginning to the end
He comes at night like your very best friend.
When you wrestle with thoughts you can’t get out of your head; and the demons appear behind your shadows of dread...And sleep still eludes you and you’re shaking with fright...There’s peace to be found with the Friend of the Night.
Yes, He comes…He comes…He comes at night…
He came at night – to calm the stormy sea
He came at night – with wine and bread to eat
He came at night – to an upper room again
And He comes at night – to be your Faithful Friend.
He comes at night at just the right time
He comes at night when all is on the line
In every age from beginning to the end
He comes at night like your very best friend.
© Chuck Ericson 2000 and 2007
Home for Immanuel
Greetings brought by Gabriel reached her ear and stopped her breath…“You are chosen to carry Christ,” and Mary heard it in Nazareth.
Suburb of Sepphoris, hillside village between the seas,
Where common folk work with their hands, on threshing floors ‘neath olive trees.
Limestone dust swirled around their feet on Joseph’s sandals and Mary’s hem; as they walked to the stable-cave on the border of Bethlehem.
City home of David’s kin, fortified with walls so old;
With narrow streets, stone houses filled…her natives come to be enrolled.
Night-time in the Judean fields, light of glory shines from on high, Silhouetting the sleeping flock upon the unspoiled countryside.
Wilderness, the creatures’ home; travelers pass but never stay...The shadows lean on mountain grass, a placid place to rest and pray.
Heaven’s plan dawns everywhere – then whole Creation’s story to tell:
Village, city and countryside –
All are home for Immanuel!
© Chuck Ericson 1988 and 2007
We See You There
We weren’t there when you were born – that night we now recall; Gone are all the witnesses, and empty lies the stall.
Some demanding proof might think that we have been deceived; But faith needs no such evidence, for somehow we believe:
We see you there…we see you there…we see you there…we see you there!
Bethlehem and Nazareth could not contain your grace.
We, who live our lives for you, see you in every place.
Every hand held out in love looks like your very own,
And when hate gives way to peace, we find we aren’t alone:
We see you there…we see you there…we see you there…we see you there!
All the earth is groaning as we spin towards a new day…
Prisoners set free this year, old boundaries swept away.
Refugees and innocents have had their voices heard;
Everywhere we turn and look: vast changes have occurred:
We see you there…we see you there…we see you there…we see you there!
Still, we know there’s more to do, for God’s work stretches on – Hungers to be satisfied, and wrongs to be undone.
Time to look inside ourselves, become as God would like;
Then in Bethlehem and here, we’ll sing with such delight:
We see you there…we see you there…we see you there…we see you there!
We see you there…we see you there…we see you there…we see you there!
We see you there…we see you there…we see you there…we see you there!
© Chuck Ericson 1991 and 2007
Have No Fear
If you had lived near the city of David, just about two thousand years ago, you would have known that all was not placid, up in the hills or the valley below.
The weather was harsh and often uncertain, a drought or a storm could tear life apart; the borders were fragile , the empire oppressive, so many threats to unsettle your heart.
But into this world near the city of David a young man and woman came traveling by. And as they arrived at a stable so vacant voices like angels were heard in the sky:
Have No Fear…Have No Fear
Christ has appeared, to show God is near,
So Have No Fear….tonight.
We think our world today doesn’t resemble…the world into which our Jesus was sent. For we’re more advanced, and we are more modern, light years ahead of old Bethlehem.
Yet all has not changed quite as much as we’ve thought, our yearnings and hopes stay the same through the years. For we still are seeking the peace that protects us, that makes all our worries at last disappear.
Yes, into our souls we all hope we can sense a young man and woman come traveling again, and stop in a place snuggled next to our hearts as angels still sing to all women and men:
Have No Fear…Have No Fear
Christ has appeared, to show God is near,
So Have No Fear….tonight.
Who is the enemy, who is my friend?
Do others think well of me, where does it end?
Worries accumulate, will I pass the test?
Then come the words that give my soul rest:
Have No Fear…Have No Fear
Christ has appeared, to show God is near,
So Have No Fear….tonight.
© Chuck Ericson 2001 and 2007
Pause (Reprise)
No Lyrics – Instrumental
© Chuck Ericson and Len Bosh 2007
