pic a day - come thou fount

It is a rare day that I listen to the radio while driving in my car. No matter the volume, I feel as if I'm being screamed at during the numerous commercials and find myself irritated by the commentator bantor. When I do hit that little power button, it is generally in an effort to stay awake on a long drive or, more often than not, to listen to CDs or my Ipod. This is all true with the exception of the 30-35 days pre-Christmas when our local college (not mine unfortunately) radio station plays "Chrsitmas music 24/7" (sung in a happy opera voice). Very little in the media medium thrills me more than Christmas music round the clock. I love it because not only do you hear the oldie but goodies like "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" or "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" or "I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus", but you also hear some off the wall versions of traditional Christmas songs by artists such as Jimmy Buffet (really?). Once in a blue moon, I mean like once every 4-5 years, I get lucky enough to hear the Porky Pig version of "I'll Have a Blue Christmas Without You" and all the world is right..."I'll have a bb bbb bbbb bbbluuuueeee ccccc cccccchristmas without you!!". One night over the weekend, I was driving home loving every minute of Elvis singing "White Christmas". As I pulled into the garage and turned off the ignition, a new song was just starting to play. I heard enough plunky notes to recognize the song and be curious, so I turned the key and sat back in fascination. The song was "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessings". For one thing, the arrangement was lovely and so unique. The sound and the artist were totally unfamilar. Secondly, I had to ask myself when that song became a Christmas song. As I remembered partial lyrics and sang along while sitting in my chilly car in the garage, I was struck by the fact that it is very much a Christmas song if ever there was one. Kudos to Sufjan Stevens. I've never heard of him until today when I finally found him to be the artist. He might be a new favorite. Enjoy they lyrics as you contemplate as I have this week. All this started with a tiny baby.

1. Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

2. Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I'll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

3. Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

4. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

5. O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.