Blog Caroling: Oh Come All Ye Faithful

I submit this Christmas Carol in memory of my mother, Martha Stark Hughes. It was perhaps her favorite Christian holiday song. In part because her father, Charles Edward Stark, was referred to as "Old Faithful" by the minister of the family church.

A year or so before she passed, we began a tradition of singing Christmas songs as a family on Christmas Eve. Ken, our musician, put together song books, worked up all the arrangements, brought his guitar and a joyful songfest was begun. Unfortunately the first year, when it came to "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," we decided to jazz it up a bit. WRONG.....we totally upset Mom. Lesson learned....don't mess with that carol.

Following her death on Christmas Eve 1999, we sang at her gravesite each and every Christmas season one song.....

Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
By: John F. Wade

Oh, come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold himBorn the king of angels:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Highest, most holy,
Light of light eternal,
Born of a virgin,
A mortal he comes;
Son of the Father
Now in flesh appearing!
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to GodIn the highest:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Hymn # 41 from Lutheran Worship
Composer: John F. Wade
Tune: Adeste Fideles
1st Published in: 1767

© 2009, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser