Bellingen/Australian carols

"Christmas Eve" a new version for 2013
Tune: silent night

Christmas Eve, who’d believe
lavish grace, we receive
Deep as the ocean and warm as the sun
High as the mountains and for everyone
Behold God’s offering of peace Forgiveness, love and release

Christmas Eve, we perceive Twinkling lights on a tree
In a world that is so often dark
We are called to light a spark
From the flame of the One
Dark cannot put out the Son

Christmas Eve, we believe,
God at work, to relieve
Fruitbats circle and circadas shrill Signalling Immanuel
Jesus: God is with us
Jesus: God is with us.

"Christmas Day "
Tune: silent night

Christmas morn, breaking dawn
Joy for some, others mourn
With young Mary we have found
Unexpectedly grace abounds-
Jesus: God is with us
Jesus: God is with us! 

Christmas Day, children play
Blazing sun, or sky grey
Swollen river and cicada call
Signaling to one and all
Christmas time has come!
Reminding us of God’s son.

Christmas night, stars are bright
bellies full, eyes shut tight.
Fruit bats circling way on high
Children sleep whilst parents sigh
Thanking Jesus for peace
Forgiveness, love and release

Oh little town of Bellingen
tune: little town of Bethlehem

Oh little town of Bellingen
How still we see thee lie
No shopping carts, no big kmarts
No Woolworths is nearby
Yes in thy dark streets shineth
No garish neon light
Just starlight beams as children dream
And fruitbats onward glide

But online shops are calling
Toormina’s down the road
And Coffs you see, calls you and me
“Hey come and spend a load!”
So let us sing together
Of life and its true worth
Presents are fine, presence divine
Upon this gift of Earth.

Now let us all in Bellingen
Together sing along
Jesus came: God’s love proclaimed!
But Christmas has gone wrong.
For Coke-a-cola’s “Father”
Says, “Show your love with cash”
But we will stick with old St Nick
Santa is balderdash!

Eco/anti consumption carols

First, a carol often "heard" at this time of year:

We wish you a capitalistmas
(tune: we wish you a merry Christmas)

“We wish you a capitalistmas,
we wish you a capitalistmas,
we wish you a capitalistmas
and a credit debt next year!
Cash registers ring, from all the buy-ing: we wish you a capitalistmas and a credit debt next year!”

Now some carols we would like to hear more...
Joy to the Lord the world has come
Joy to the Lord, the world has come
And God has been set free!
In far flung stars
and planets like ours
God has something to love (x2)
God has, God has, something to love

Joy to the Lord, for living things
that swim, and crawl, and fly!
they fill the Earth
with colour & song
God has declared them good (x2)
God has, God has, declared them good.

Joy to the Lord, for human beings
For such as you and me
Our presence is ambiguous
Wonderful and ridiculous
Yet we have shown such love (x2)
Oh we, yes we, have shown such love.

Joy to the world, for Christmas time
Jesus: "God is- with us"
Not only way back then
For we still sing amen!
Yes we have known God's love
and we have shown God's love,
The wonder, the wonder, of God's love!

* I don’t use Lord much myself, but it does heighten the juxtaposition from the original song.  In this one it is the world which brings joy to God, setting God free from an eternity trapped in sameness, a point first made in process theology I think, and expanded on in my thesis on biocentric theology, available from http://ecofaith.org/oldsitepapers

From God the Universe emerged
(Good King Wenchlas)

Often the first two words have to be run together.

From God the universe emerged
wobbly and uneven
At first it was mighty hot
now its mostly freez'n!

Brightly shine uncounted lights
burning up their fu-el
Occasionally a great delight
life begins to cra-a-awl!

Yet now in cities 'round the world
what with all the selling
Brilliant stars are hardly seen
cause neon lights are yelling:
"Forget two thousand years ago!"
"forget the temple mountain!"
"forget Jesus: God is with us!”
“buy buy buy,” they're shoutin"

He spoke of bread and spoke of wine
He touched, and healed, and gathered
With the poor he did recline
The rich got in a lather

To them his wrath was often bent
So they got together
His legs were broke,
his body bent...
And hung out in the weather!

But this is Christmas not Easter
Sing of such things no longer
let all people just agree
for which gift we hunger:

The gift of love lasts
through the age
Let us give it boldly
The one thing that this world needs most...
We shall give it wholly

We shall give our love to God
and to all God's creatures
Serve the garden and protect
As that old myth teaches

Christmas isn't in a store
It's not about possessing
If we give love, then give it more:
We will all have blessing!

(not a carol tune, but still Christmassy)

Twinkle twinkle little star
We are here and you’re so far
God’s out there & God’s here too
God’s in us and God’s in you.
Twinkle twinkle little star
We are here and you’re so far.

Twinkle twinkle little star
how you make us all wund-ar
Can a God out there with you
Ever notice what we do?
Twinkle twinkle little star
Yet we feel God in our hearts.

Twinkle twinkle little star
Signalling a messi-ah
So the story goes you see
Once in him now you’re in me
Twinkle twinkle little star
I’m part of the advent-yar!

Hark the Herals angels say:
Because too much fiddling just isn't enough.

Hark! the herald angels say
Peace has come to all today,
Here on Earth hear this one child
All creation reconciled.

Joyful all your voices, rise!
God’s not just up in the skies!
Here on Earth the Spirit dwells
God with us: Immanuel!

Hark! the herald angels say
Peace has come to all today

God, in Earth and heavens gloried;
Author of the Christmas story
Jesus heard the Spirit’s call
Grace and healing for us all

Messiah or Trinity?
Billions now believe that he...
Lived the gift of love for all
Celebrate Immanuel!

Hark! the Spirit in you says
You bring peace to Earth today.

The Milky Way- still needs work
(tune: away in a manger)

The milky way is a galaxy
Where we lay our head
Here Jesus of Nazareth
Offered wine and bread.

The stars in the night sky
Re-mind us today
That God is much bigger
Than we used to say.

The universe is growing
Those Christmas lights above
Uncountable systems receiving God's love

No bodily Jesus
Sits up in the sky
Still God is among us and
Flows through you and I

Yes his body is gone now
Yet the Spirit today
Dwells within and amongst us
Though we have feet of clay

We all are God's children
If more could just share
We would find Jesus' heaven
Amongst us right here!