Is This a Day of New Beginnings?

Happy 2013!  To celebrate the 1st day of 2013, I'm sharing this lovely text.

Is This a Day of New Beginnings?

Text written by Brian Wren (1936-    ) in 1978.

Sung to the hymn tune DRONFIELD.

V. 1 Is this a day of new beginnings,

Time to remember and move on,

Time to believe what love is bringing, 

Laying to rest the pain that's gone?

V. 2 How can the seasons of a planet

Mindlessly spinning round its sun

With just a human name and number

Say that some new thing has begun?

Ezekiel 36:26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

V. 3 Yet thro' the life and death of Jesus

Love's mighty Spirit, now as then,

Can make for us a world of difference

As faith and hope are born again

V. 4 Then let us, with the Spirit's daring,

Step from the past and leave behind

Its disappointment, guilt, and grieving,

Seeking new paths, and sure to find.

Revelation 21:5 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." 

V. 5 Christ is alive, and goes before us

To show and share what love can do.

This is a day of new beginnings;

Our God is making all things new.

Now the Joyful Bells A-Ringing

I am devotional blogging in 2013. Each day I will feature the text of a hymn (because I love the poetry as much as I love music) and the scripture reference(s) that accompany the text. I hope you will be blessed, and if you like my devotional, please share it with your friends!

Now the Joyful Bells A-Ringing

The words are a Welsh carol, paraphrased by K.E. Roberts (1979-1953)

Sung to the hymn tune NOS GALAN (commonly associated with the song "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly")

Psalm 148:9 Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars....

V. 1 Now the joyful bells a-ringing, all ye mountains, praise the Lord!

Lift our hearts like birds a-winging, all ye mountains, praise the Lord!

Now our festal season bringing kinsmen all to bide and board,

Sets our cheery voices singing:  All ye mountains, praise the Lord!

Matthew 2:11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

V. 2 Dear our home as dear none other; where the mountains praise the Lord!

Gladly here our care we smother; where the mountains praise the Lord!

Here we know that Christ our brother binds us all as by a cord:

He was born of Mary mother where the mountains praise the Lord!

Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

V. 3 Cold the year, new whiteness wearing, all ye mountains, praise the Lord!

Peace, good will to us a-bearing, all ye mountains praise the Lord!

Now we all God's goodness sharing break the bread and sheath the sword:

Bright our hearths the signal flaring all ye mountains, praise the Lord!