Introduction "Tonight, heaven touches earth"

" Once upon a time it was: the moment when the temporal and the eternal came together in the dimension of space and time; a moment when the mortal and the Immortal stood face to face; a moment when the wisdom of this world, so grounded in the absolutes of empirical evidence, was finally astonished by the irrefutable, absolute certainty of miracle.

The Glory that had been withdrawn after the tragic betrayal in the Garden of Eden, at the beginning of human history, was about to return the glory of God was about to be revealed the glory of the Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. The night when heaven touches the earth.

This is a musical that celebrates Redemption. It is a reflection, a celebration, a worship and a proclamation. It is not an exercise in style or form, it is an act of worship in Spirit and Truth. I have tried to keep the concept of Heaven actually coming to earth alive in the story and in many of the lyrics in the musical. That long forgotten essence of Eden has returned with the coming of the Redeemer. We can behold His glory once again and we can barely look away.

Heaven touches earth (Tonight, heaven touches earth)
I wanted to start very quietly. Jay wanted crickets. We went for quiet crickets. I love the opening story and the beautiful melody that Jay wrote to usher us into the warmth and wonder of what God is about to do. You might consider teaching your congregation this simple chorus in the weeks leading up to the musical. Make sure your worship leader or soloist has a feel for the simple melody. It is to be communicated, not sung. The message of the song is far more important here than the skill of the singer.

The people who walk now in darkness
There were then and there are still people who are simply blind and do not see the Light of the glory of the Gospel. This song makes that idea vividly visible. The DVD also makes this clear in a way that stays with you.

NB The next three songs are about the shepherds and the angels. Stylistically they are all very different. I think they each add their own unique voice to the message of the musical.

Tonight
We love this song by Gloria and Benjy Gaither. This will be a choir favorite. Benjy gave us a chorus that really gets the choir singing with energy. The lyrics are what you would expect from Gloria. We are happy to finally be able to put this song in a musical it is a beautiful addition.

Sing Gloria! (Sing Gloria!)
I have made quite a career out of writing new lyrics to classic Christmas tunes. This tune is the familiar Fum, fum, fum (*). I admit I had a lot of fun writing the lyrics especially breaking up the word Gloria! But it is a joy to sing and Jay's classic setting makes it a wonderful experience.

Do you hear what the angels are singing? (Listen to the angels singin')
In case we missed anyone we have added Bill Gaither's version of Listen to the angels singin. The DVD shows children getting ready and trying to rehearse a scene from the Nativity story. It is heartwarming and funny and I am sure it will bring back many fond memories for many people. This is really fun to sing and has a very lively trio in the verses.(**)

Lullaby at the stable (Lullaby at the manger)
We asked our friend Rick Vale to write a Joseph and Mary duet for this musical. He has an incredible gift for writing dramatic songs and settings. When we first heard this song, we asked everyone on our team to immediately stop what they were doing and come to the music room. I wanted all of them and now all of you to experience this beautiful gift from this talented writer.

Follow the light
Jay and I love this song. The message is crystal clear, the music is easy and upbeat and the soloist and choir really get a chance to go wild. Don't hold back Follow the Light!

Why?
That is the question that has always surrounded the Christmas story for me. I accept the miracle. I believe that Christ is the Son of the living God. I accept all that. What I will never understand is why. This song is a pilgrimage, straight from my heart, to the unfathomably deep love of God.

But He came anyway...( Still He came)
This is one of my favorite songs that Jay and I have written together. This is probably the only answer I will ever have to the Why song. The answer is WHY regardless. Still He Came. This is one of those great choral ballads that Jay and I are known for. We love writing them and even more, we love hearing you sing them!

Always, always again / A song of praise (His love reaching / Offering)
This is the section we always refer to as the Now What? section. So what does this mean to me? It means everything. It means living with purpose, with meaning and purpose. It means fellowship with the Almighty. It means finding forgiveness and restoration. It means a home in Heaven. This is a time of invitation and worship and celebration. Heaven has indeed touched earth and now is the time to let our praises ring out so that it will be heard in Heaven!

Merry Christmas! Randy Vader.