Album Review: The Long Night Is Passed

Album Title: The Long Night Is Past: The Christmas Story of Us

Group/Artist: Grace Music

Release Date: 2018

Stream on Spotify; Stream on YouTube

I see the world in darkness lay and the people toil away... Thus begins "The Lord Almighty Reigns, Pt. 1 a  prelude to the album experience...and this is an album to be experienced. (The best kind of album, in my opinion.)

It is no secret (to those that know me) that I love, love, love, LOVE crazy love Christmas music. And what I love most are Christmas songs that are Christ-centered, gospel-focused, and look beyond the manger. In other words, all the best Christmas albums have some foreshadowing. 

There are twelve songs on the album:

• The Lord Almighty Reigns, Pt. 1
• Long Expected Jesus
• Hope of the World
• The Long, Long Night
• Prepare the Way
• Lay Down Straight
• Lamb of God
• This is the Christ
• O Spread the Tidings Round
• I Heard the Bells
• Tempus Adest Floridium/ The Story of Us
• The Lord Almighty Reigns, Pt. 2/ Joy to the World

Of the twelve songs, I only dislike one the song Lay Down Straight. It is a strong dislike. It seems an odd choice of words. The song is about how WE are the reason Jesus died, WE are the ones nailing him to the cross. But the idea that anyone at all is having to tell Jesus to lay down straight so that the nails can be hammered in...well...it is just odd. 

But the other eleven are all kinds of wonderful. And I mean ALL kinds of wonderful. I could gush about this album almost endlessly. 

Hope of the World

Gather round I will sing another story, I will tell another tale, of the deep transcendent glory of the love that never fails and when the final note is sung you'll know the comforter is coming and the comforter has come. 

There was Mary, a girl set apart, to hold the hope of the world in her womb and in her heart and though she feared the coming storm she knew the promise was enough that the comforter is coming and the comforter has come. 

The hope of the world. The hope of the world is born. A Savior has come. A Savior has come to us. The hope of the world. 

There were shepherds living in the fields huddled in the darkness, when a light from God appeared and said do not be afraid go and see what God has done. For a Savior now is given. And the comforter has come. 

The hope of the world. The hope of the world is born. A Savior has come. A Savior has come to us. 

The hope of the world. The hope of the world is born. The Savior has come. Oh. The Savior has come to us. 

I could not find lyrics on the internet anywhere for Hope of the World. This Hope of the World. I typed them while listening to the song. I did not try to punctuate or put them into proper lines. But this is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite songs on the album.

Another favorite that I've listened to on repeat is O Spread the Tidings Round.

1 O spread the tidings 'round
Wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:
The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heaven, the Father's promise given;
O spread the tidings 'round wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!

2 The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o'er the golden hills the day advances fast!

The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

3 Lo, the great King of kings with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliverance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

4 O boundless Love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wondering mortals tell the matchless grace divine:
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!

The Comforter has come! [Refrain] 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible