Gloria. . .The Gift of Song

Today's offering to the world is a song, inspired by Philippians 2:5-11.  I wrote it, but I can't really take credit, for the Lord is the one who gives us gifts to use for His honor.  I want Him to have all the glory for any of the songs He's enabled me to write.  He set a very interesting and compelling precedent with the first one, twenty-nine years ago.

That first song was for my high school graduation.  My friends were encouraging me to try out to be the soloist for graduation.  I told them I didn't know what I would sing.  I didn't want to sing the same song everybody else sang year after year.  If I was going to sing, I wanted the song to have some pertinent meaning, and I wanted it to communicate my faith in Christ to my classmates.  They persisted in urging me to try-out.  So as I drove home after school, I said, "Lord, if you want me to sing something, you're going to have to give me a song, because I don't know what to sing."

Our piano was only steps inside the door, and I sat down.  And the song just came right then and there.  That was enough of a miracle, but it gets better.  If I were going to write a song in my own strength, it would be in the key of C--no sharps, no flats.  The song He gave me was in the key of D flat, and if you know something about music, you know that key has five flats.  I think He did it that way so I would never take credit for the songs He enables me to write.

Well, I did try out.  My song was chosen for my public high school graduation, and the judges even asked me to turn it into a duet so that a classmate and I could sing it together.  So that's how the song writing began.  Each and every song is just as much a gift from God in that He deserves all the glory.

By the way, this song is not the one I wrote for graduation.  Maybe someday I'll get that one online.  But today, ponder with me God's amazing plan to rescue us.

(Sorry, the recording is temporarily unavailable, as it is being updated.)

Prelude

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin.

The light of the world is Jesus.

Like sunshine at noonday His glory shone in.

The light of the world is Jesus.

Come to the Light, 'tis shining for thee.

Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me. . .

Chorus 1

Gloria. . .behold the great descending!

The Sovereign's hands are emptied

As He sleeps on the hay,

With a young maid there, attending. . .

The light of the world is Jesus.

Verse 1

Amazing plan--takes my breath away. . .

the Lord set rank aside--

Him, a slave--

There was no other way.

Chorus 2

Gloria. . .behold the great descending!

The Sovereign's hands are emptied

As He sleeps on the hay,

Humble shepherds there, attending. . .

The light of the world is Jesus.

Verse 2

Humble beginning became humbler still. . .

He took on all our shame--

Him, the Lamb--

For there's no other Name.

Chorus 3

Gloria. . .behold the great descending!

The Sovereign's hands are emptied

As He dies in our place,

Roman soldiers there, attending. . .

The light of the world is Jesus.

Verse 3

More amazing still came the third day. . .

The Lord set death aside--

He's alive--

There is no more to pay!

Chorus 4

Gloria. . .Let the praises keep ascending!

The Sovereign's grave is empty!

Crucified, yet alive,

With the angels all attending. . .

The light of the world is Jesus!

Bridge

Come to the Light, 'tis shining for thee.

Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me. . .

Repeat Chorus 4

Copyright 2011 Carol Carpenter

Hymn excerpt public domain