Jeremy L. Berg

A pastor friend of mine sends me a personal prayer each Monday morning. They are rooted in Scripture, deeply personal, beautifully written — inspired. Sunday night my kids and I performed a concert of carols. All month I’ve been doing concerts at senior homes and churches, hoping to bring some JOY to hearts through my songs. So, my friend’s prayer this week was perfect. Let me share his beautiful prayer on this Christmas Eve, and may I pray the same over you this Christmas:

Jeremy,

As Christmas approaches and we get ready to sing lots of carols, I am struck by the language in Psalm 47 where “sing praises” or “sing…praise” happens 5 times in just 2 short verses.  And right before these verses we read, “God has ascended amid shouts of joy”.  God shows up for us with joy in our singing! So I pray…

Spirit of Joy,

From the song of Mary, to anthems by angels in the sky, to Jesus letting out birth cries, you give breath to your beloved and empower them to sing, and you fill their lives with joy.  In the songs that Jeremy sings in the coming days, arise in him, be known by him, and fill his life with surpassing joy. Make that joy a gift he shares with many others, birthing Jesus in their lives through the shared joy.  Amen.

My (Jeremy) closing song all month — the show stopper that moves us from Santa to Jesus, and the song that has brought tears of joy to many eyes, has been an original arrangement of “Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee.” Let me offer these words to you as we ponder the gift of our Savior as the “Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.” Merry Christmas!

1 Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before You,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

2 All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!

3 Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.