Who Would Have Dreamed – Christmas Album Preview

PHR Album art FINAL_FotorWe released our first Christmas album, Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man, in 2006. A few years ago I started thinking we should do another one. After all, we can never have too many songs that help us reflect on and celebrate the wonder of Jesus becoming Emmanuel, God with us.

So I was intrigued last fall when my good friend, Marty Machowski, asked if Sovereign Grace Music would be interested in producing a Christmas album to accompany an Advent curriculum he had written. After a few conversations with Marty and his publisher, New Growth Press, we decided it would be a great opportunity. The result was our next album, Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus in Song, due out Sept. 29. While the album will stand on its own, thirteen of the fourteen songs on it correspond with lessons from Marty’s devotional.

Writing songs to specific passages of Scripture in each lesson caused us to explore some new territory for Christmas songs. While not all of the songs ended up being congregational, I’m pretty excited about what we ended up with.

Below is a preview version of a song I co-wrote with Jason Hansen, a pastor in the Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, AZ. We started it at a songwriter retreat in January and finished it over many long distance sessions using FaceTime and Google Docs.

The song is called “Who Would Have Dreamed” and is based on Micah 5:1-2.

Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

We tried to capture the wonder that God would choose unlikely Bethlehem as the birthplace for the Messiah, and the greater wonder that the Son of God himself would be born as an infant. Here are the lyrics:

On a starlit hillside, shepherds watched their sheep
Slowly, David’s city drifted off to sleep
But to this little town of no great renown
The Lord had a promise to keep

Prophets had foretold it, a mighty King would come
Long-awaited Ruler, God’s anointed one
But the Sovereign of all looked helpless and small
As God gave the world His own Son

And who would have dreamed or ever foreseen
That we could hold God in our hands?
The Giver of Life is born in the night
Revealing God’s glorious plan
To save the world

Wondrous gift of heaven: the Father sends the Son
Planned from time eternal, moved by holy love
He will carry our curse and death He’ll reverse
So we can be daughters and sons

And here’s the preview. I’m delighted that it’s being sung by my youngest daughter, McKenzie.

 

19 Responses to Who Would Have Dreamed – Christmas Album Preview

  1. Jim July 14, 2014 at 10:58 AM #

    We cannot wait to hear this album. Loving this song already. Thank you my dear Brother.

  2. ralcantar July 14, 2014 at 1:36 PM #

    Seriously Bob, I’m stoked about this album. Hope you guys keep doing acoustic sets like this. Super good.

  3. Andrew July 14, 2014 at 2:41 PM #

    Wow. Incredible song. And that piano work? Seriously. Thanks, guys.

  4. Carol July 14, 2014 at 8:31 PM #

    Wow! Love it! Can hardly wait for the whole thing.

  5. KJ July 15, 2014 at 11:19 AM #

    This is great! It can be hard to find Christmas songs. If you are looking for another one, my very favorite is by Luke Waite (from your church there in KY) called “Birth of Great Joy.” Ask him about it! :) I am looking forward to this album. Thanks for all your work to put it together and make it available to us!

  6. David July 15, 2014 at 1:02 PM #

    Great Song! I love these acoustic videos.

  7. shereesmusings July 15, 2014 at 7:23 PM #

    This is amazing on several fronts. Dueling pianos. Your legacy on display. Wonderful melody that had me singing along quickly (well, in my mind so I could hear McKenzie). Looking forward to the whole thing!

  8. Will Gerrald July 17, 2014 at 9:44 AM #

    As super great as these dueling pianos are, this needs a string part. I can hear this opening our Candles and Carols service, and it makes me VERY excited.

  9. Chris Smith July 24, 2014 at 9:11 PM #

    Great job – sounds great – very promising to think they’ll be a new batch of worship songs for the church to sing this Christmas season.

  10. Shannon Lewis August 6, 2014 at 12:12 AM #

    Bob, to this date SGM’s last Christmas record is my fav Christmas release of all-time, & I don’t like Christmas music! Excited to hear this, bro! P.S. – I have a couple of things to email you… it’s been too long! Blessigns!

  11. HUW September 7, 2014 at 11:24 AM #

    the 3 preview songs are fantastic. i can hardly wait to purchase the cd and learn the songs
    every blessing
    Huw Nottingham uk

  12. Annie Ballantyne November 20, 2014 at 3:51 PM #

    I AM SO EXCITED about this album. I have been listening non-stop! He Who Is Mighty is officially part of our Christmas services this year.

    • Bob Kauflin November 20, 2014 at 11:37 PM #

      Thanks, Annie! We’ve been singing He Who is Mighty for about a month now and it’s been really encouraging to our congregation.

  13. keeperofthehomep31t2 December 10, 2014 at 12:37 PM #

    Just beautiful!

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