The Birthday of a King

Today is my friend Shelly's birthday and that reminded me of a song that my sisters and I sang for "special music" at church when we were kids.  Believe me when I tell you that the "Bloomer Girls" performances were always special.  Thankfully, youtube was not around in the 70's.  Also, video cameras required three men and a boy to haul around so no one had those either! 

Moving along...

W. H. Neidlinger wrote this song and it has been recorded by many people including David Phelps and Judy Garland.  About ten years ago, I was part of a trio that performed it at church.  Of course, I changed the lyrics a little bit because I wouldn't be me if I didn't.  Anyway, on the second verse it says, "From the manger bed, what a path was led" but I didn't like that so I changed the "was" to "He" because that made more sense to me.  It still does.  For the record, the other two ladies liked it better as well.  To quote Yukon Cornelius in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", you eat (in this case sing) what you like and I'll eat (sing) what I like.

Ahem...    

I love the simple harmony and lyrics of this song.  It seems very fitting to me as it describes the first moments of Jesus' life on Earth.  The idea that a perfect, holy God came to us in a humble stable when He could have come in full majesty and glory is profound to me.  The only announcement was His star and the angels that proclaimed His birth to the shepherds in nearby fields.  He could have announced His arrival in a myriad of attention grabbing ways, but he chose this way instead. 

Humble. 

Simple.

Human, yet God. 

Here's a recording of "The Birthday of a King".  Personally, I like this song just a little bit faster, but I really like the way this trio sounds and decided to use it.
  


Here are the lyrics:
In the little village of Bethlehem
There lay a child one day
And the sky was bright
With a holy light
O'er the place where Jesus lay.

Alleluia
Oh how the angels sang!
Alleluia
How it rang!
And the sky was bright
With a holy light
'Twas the birthday of a King.

Twas a humble birthplace
But oh how much
God gave to us that day!
From the manger bed what a path has led
What a perfect holy way.

Alleluia
Oh how the angels sang!
Alleluia
How it rang!
And the sky was bright
With a Holy light
Twas the birthday of a King