O Come All Ye Faithful

Shane & Shane perform “O Come All Ye Faithful,” the Christmas carol usually credited to John Francis Wade in the eighteenth century and sung in English from a translation by Frederick Oakeley. Their arrangement stays close to the familiar tune, led by acoustic guitars and plain harmonies.

The first verse invites the faithful, joyful and triumphant, to come to Bethlehem and behold the newborn King of angels. The second verse calls choirs of angels and citizens of heaven to sing and give glory to God in the highest. The chorus is the refrain everyone knows, O come let us adore him, ending with Christ the Lord. Later verses describe the child as true God of true God and light from light eternal, a Son of the Father who is begotten and not created, who did not shun the virgin's womb. He came as a child for sinners, poor and lying in a manger, and the congregation says they would embrace him with love and awe. The final verse greets the Lord on this happy morning and gives glory to the Word of the Father now appearing in flesh. These lines borrow language from the Nicene Creed, which is one reason the carol has lasted. The duo's quiet setting lets the words carry the weight, and it works for a candlelit service or a family singing at home.

The Savior born in the city of David is Luke 2:11. The Word becoming flesh is John 1:14, and glory to God in the highest is Luke 2:14.