Friday, December 19, 2008

a baby will come

(right click here to download)



(verse 1)
The kings of this world
Have torn it apart
But we can take heart
A baby will come

(verse 2)
To the hungry and meek
To those who grieve
To the broken, in need
A baby will come

(verse 3)
We have known pain
We’ve felt death’s sting
God, help us believe
This baby will come

(verse 4)
The angel appeared
Said do not fear
For peace is here
A baby has come

(verse 5)
The advent of life
Let hope arise
We’ve our King and our Christ
The Baby has come

(verse 6)
We’ve waited so long
God, for Your mighty arm
May our doubts ever calm
For the Baby has come

(verse 7)
The proud will be low
The humble will know
They’re valued and loved
For the Baby has come

(verse 8)
Cause the kings of this world
Won’t have the last word
That, God, is Yours
For the Baby has come


This is a live recording (which should be obvious), and it is not me singing (which should be even more obvious). Emilee Cook has once again made my music sound way better than it is.

This past Sunday, I taught on Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1. As I was researching the social climate of that time and place, I realized just how dire the lives of the Israelites would've been. Between the brutal conquests of the Roman Empire under Caesar Augustus and the obscene taxation of Herod, King of Judea...they found themselves enslaved once again, but this time it was in their very own backyard.

The Promised Land no longer felt like the Promised Land.

And into that climate, a young adolescent Jewish girl was visited by an angel of God and told that she would give birth to a baby boy and His name would be "Salvation"; his very name would "Liberation" for her and her people.

In a moment of joy and restraint, Mary sat down and wrote her Magnificat; a poem that is on one hand personal and introspective, but on the other hand is charged with social and political revolutionary language.

'A Baby Will Come' is more than anything my commentary on Mary's poem.

8 comments:

norm said...

I absolutely loved this song. Emilee did a fantastic job. I appreciate the last verse "Cause the kings of this world
Won’t have the last word
That, God, is Yours
For the Baby has come".

Excellent!

Anonymous said...

i get chills every time it gets to "the advent of life". love. it.

ragamuffinminister said...

one of your best, by far. fantastic. thanks. and thanks to emilee!

Unknown said...

i LOVE this song.....so, so beautiful. glory to Jesus.

Cricket's Hero said...

I was wondering who wrote that song. Excellent lyrics. Thanks Bill!

Anonymous said...

I was so happy that I was able to go to service that day! This song is beautiful and Emilee's voice is amazing. It was also cool to have Megan Nelson read the poem aloud. It helps remind us how young and innocent Mary was.

Anonymous said...

Have I said enough how much I love you guys (and gals) at Crossings? this reminds me.

The Anonymous Human said...

Move over chestnuts. Best. Christmas. Song. Ever.