The Christmas carol that was the most fun for us kids in choir to sing was “The Snow Lay on the Ground” in the arrangement by Leo Sowerby. We sang it with combined choirs so there were probably forty singers making quite a din. I found this sound recording of a Methodist choir singing

It’s an historically suspect song. There probably wasn’t any snow on the ground in Bethlehem. We don’t know what animals there might have been. None of that matters. Christ is born. The Savior is come.

    Venite, adoremus Dominum.
    (Come, let us adore Christ.)

I love the message in the final stanza:

    And thus that manger poor became a throne;
    For he whom Mary bore was God the Son.

The coming of Christ turns everything upside down. What the world values is not what God values. The Creator appears in human form.  And this is done for us. That’s the shocker. For us! We poor sinners who have pretty much wrecked everything we put our hands to are redeemed, rescued, restored.  How should we respond to the precious gift?

    O come, then, let us join the heav’nly host,
    To praise the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

I remember standing on the back porch of one of our shut-ins caroling. All pressed together in the that tight space we raised our voices:

    Venite, adoremus Dominum,
    Venite, adoremus Dominum.

Praise the Lord in all places and in all times. Christ is born. Let us adore him.

Read Luke 2:1-20 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne