Upon a manger filled with hay, In poverty content He lay;
With milk was fed the Lord of all, Who feeds the ravens when they call.
   Lutherâs magnificent hymn âNow Praise We Christ, the Holy Oneâ (The Lutheran Hymnal 104), the HYMN TO DEPART, expresses the mystery of the Incarnation.
God, who created all things, and cares for all things, even seemingly small, insignificant things (cf. St. Matthew 6.26), is made small, becomes poor, and nurses at His motherâs breast.
This hymn is a German translation based on the hymn at Lauds (Morning Prayer) for Christmas Day âA solis ortus cardineâ by Coelius Sedulius, a sixth-century bishop. Although Luther wasnât the first to write a translation of the Latin, his significantly rearranged the first stanza so that the opening focus is clearly on Christ.
The tune is based on the traditional plainsong melody.
The VOLUNTARY is a setting of this hymn by Healey Willan (1880-1968).
O ye heights of heaven, adore Him!  The HYMN OF THE DAY, âOf the Fatherâs Love Begottenâ (384), is by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-413). A Spanish scholar, he is known for two major works: the Preistephanon, a collection of poems honoring martyrs of Spain, Rome, and Africa; and the Cathemerinon, a series of hymns for the various hours of the day. It is from the ninth poem of this latter work that âOf the Fatherâs Love Begottenâ originates.
The English translation is by Henry W. Baker (1821-1877) from Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861).
Singing the Creed  Throughout much of the history of the Church, the Nicene Creed was one of the sung portions of the liturgy of the Divine Service. On festival days, we sing the plainsong setting that is found in Lutheran Worship # 4. During the Epiphany season, we will use a simple method to sing the Creed together in monotone. Pastor will begin the singing with âI believe in one God,â on one note, and then everyone will join in together on the same note for the rest of the Creed: âthe Father AlmightyâŠâ.