PERUSALSCORE
Text
1. The Sacrament of Christmas
I make an act of faith toward all mankind, Where doubts would linger and suspicions brood. I make an act of joy toward all sad hearts, Where laughter pales and tears abound. I make an act of strength toward feeble things, Where life grows dim and death draws near. I make an act of trust toward all of life, Where fears preside and distrust keeps watch. I make an act of love toward friend and foe, Where trust is weak and hate burns bright. I make a deed to God of all my days –And look out on life with quiet eyes.
2. This is Christmas
The evergreen singing aloud its poem of constant renewal, The festive mood spreading lilting magic everywhere, The gifts of recollection calling to heart the graces of life, The star in the sky calling to mind the wisdom of hope, The warmth of candlelight glowing against the darkness, The birth of a child linking past to future, The symbol of love absorbing all violence. This is Christmas.
3. The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman text used with permission from Friends United Press, 1985.
PERUSALSCORE
Duration: c. 10 minutes
First printing of this edition, November 2024
Copyright © 2024 Damien Geter. All Rights Reserved. Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com
Howard urman Damien Geter
1. e Sacrament of Christmas
where doubts may lin ger and sus pi cions brood. where doubts may lin ger and sus pi cions brood.
where doubts would lin ger and sus pi cions brood.
where doubts would lin ger and sus pi cions brood.
I make an act of joy. toward all sad hearts, I make an act of joy toward all sad hearts. I make an act of joy toward all sad hearts, where I make an act of joy toward all sad hearts, where
laugh ter pales and tears a bound.
laugh ter pales and tears a bound.
laugh ter pales and tears a bound.
laugh ter pales and tears a bound.
S. A. T. B.
life grows dim I make an
life grows dim and death draws near. I make an
life grows dim and death draws near. I make an life grows dim and death draws near. I make an
pre side and dis trusts
Grounded but lively = 80
trust is weak where hate burns bright. I make an act of faith. I
trust is weak where hate burns bright. I make an act of faith.
trust is weak hate burns bright. I make an act of faith.
tust is weak hate burns bright. I make an act of faith.
I make an act of trust. I make an act of love.
I make an act of trust. I make an act of love.
I make an act of trust. I make an act of love.
I make an act of trust. I make an act of love.
S. A. T. B.
make an act of strength. An act of trust. An act of love.
Make an act of strength. An act of trust. An act of love.
make an act of strength. sub. I make. I make.
Make an act of strength. I sub. make. I make.
Toward all life.
Toward friend or foe. I make a deed toward
Toward all life.
Toward friend or foe. I make a deed toward
God all my days look out on life with qui et eyes.
God of all my days, and look out on life with qui et eyes.
God of all my days, and look out on life with qui et eyes.
God of all my days, and look out on life with qui et eyes.
2. is is Christmas
Soprano
E ver green sing ing, its poem of con stant re newal. e e ver green sing ing a loud its poem, con stant re newal! Sing ing a loud its poem of con stant re newal. e e ver green sing ing a loud
gliss.
sing ing. Sing ing, sing ing!
its poem of con stant re newal.
its poem, con stant re newal! its poem of con stant re newal.
Con stant re newal.
Its poem of con stant re newal. Its poem of con stant re newal.
Its poem, con stant re newal! Its poem, con stant re newal!
Its poem of con stant re newal. Its poem of con stant re newal.
S.
e fes tive mood sprea ding
ma gic e very where. Ma gic, ma gic.
ma gic e very where. e fes tive mood sprea ding
ma gic e very where. Ma gic, ma gic.
S.
e fes tive mood sprea ding
e fes tive mood sprea ding ma gic e very where. e fes tive mood sprea ding fes tive mood spread ing lil ting ma gic e very
Cal ling to heart the gra ces of life.
cal ling to heart the gra ces of life.
cal ling to heart the gra ces of life.
cal ling to heart the gra ces of life. e
e star in the sky, the wis dom of hope. e
star in the sky cal ling to mind the wis dom of hope.
e star in the sky, the wis dom of hope.
star in the sky cal ling to mind the wis dom of hope.
warmth of can dle light glow ing a gainst the dark ness. e
Warmth of can dle light, a gainst the dark ness. e sub.
Warmth of can dle light, a gainst the dark ness. e
Warmth of can dle light, a gainst the dark ness.
birth of a child link ing past to fu ture. Birth of a child link king birth of a child link ing past to fu ture. Birth of a child link ing birth of a child link ing past to fu ture. Birth of a child link ing
past to fu ture. e sym bol of love ab sorb ing all past to fu ture. e sym bol of love ab sorb ing all past to fu ture. e sym bol of love ab sorb ing all e sym bol of love ab sorb ing all
S.
its poem of con stant re newal.
its poem, con stant re newal! its poem of con stant re newal.
is is Chris mas!
gic. e fes tive mood sprea ding ma gic e very where
gic, ma gic.
S.
is
is is Christ mas. e gifts of re col lec tion
Cal ling to heart the gra ces of life.
cal ling to heart the gra ces of life. is is Christ mas!
cal ling to heart the gra ces of life.
cal ling to heart the gra ces of life.
star in the sky, the wis dom of hope.
star in the sky cal ling to mind the wis dom of hope.
star in the sky, the wis dom of hope.
star in the sky cal ling to mind the wis dom of hope. is
duet, or just few sopranos
is is Christ mas. is is Christ mas.
is is Christ mas. Christ
mas is Christ mas.
is Christ mas.
3. e Work of Christmas
- star in the sky is gone, when the kings and prin ces are home, when the Ooh stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the Ooh
-shep herds are back with their ocks.
Ooh kings and prin ces are home, when the shep herds are back with their ocks. Ooh,
S. A.
S. A. T.
When the song of the an gels is stilled, when the
When the song of the an gels is stilled,
When the song of the an gels is stilled,
When the song of the an gels is stilled, When the
star in the sky is gone, when the kings and prin ces are home, when the star is gone, when the kings and prin ces are home, when the star is gone when the kings and prin ces are home, star is gone the kings and prin ces are home, when the
shep herds are back with their ocks.
shep herds are back with their ocks, e work of Christ mas be shep herds are back with their ocks. e work of Christ mas be shep herds are back with their ocks. e work of Christ mas be
S.
hun gry, to re lease the pris’ ner, hun gry pris’ner, hun gry pris’ner, hun gry, pris’ ner, to re build the
a few sopranos to re build na tions, to re build the na tions to bring peace a mong to re build the na tions to bring peace a mong na tions to bring peace a mong
to make mu sic in the heart. When
peo ple, to make mu sic in the When
peo ple. to make mu sic in the heart. When
peo ple, to make mu sic in the heart. When
stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the stilled, star is gone, when the stilled, star is gone when the stilled, When the star is gone the
kings and prin ces are home, when the shep herds are kings and prin ces are home, when the shep herds are kings and prin ces are home, shep herds are kings and prin ces are home, when the shep herds are
back with their ocks. back with their ocks, e work of back with their ocks. e work of back with their ocks. e work of
Christ mas be gins.
Christ mas be gins.
Christ mas be gins.
S. A. T. B.