Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down his sweet head
The stars in the sky
Look down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
A lot of what we do at Christmas involves children. We take great delight in seeing them enjoy all the wonderful events of the season. We re-experience our own past joys of Christmas as we embrace the festivities through the happiness of most children around us.
The children’s carol, ‘Away in a Manger’ is usually sung to congregations around the world by the youngest kids in church. The simplicity of the words, along with the innocence of the children, blend together perfectly and convey the manger scene of the baby Jesus beautifully. The origin of the carol has been attributed to Martin Luther, the Father of the Reformation. If so, then he wrote it to pass on the Christian faith in a simple and easy manner which even the youngest child among us can understand.
Points to ponder
How does Christmas bring out the inner-child in me? How will I share this joy with others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Child of the Manger, we look forward to greeting You on Christmas Day and welcoming You once more into our hearts and homes. Help us to spread Your blessing of love to our families and friends. In your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
Today’s image is one of John’s Nativity drawings called ‘Holy Night.’ If you would like to view a larger version, click here.
You can watch and listen to a group of children singing this wonderful hymn on YouTube: