Shining Out of Darkness

Shining out of the darkness came the Christmas time

Author: Flora Kirkland (1903)
Tune: [From the world unspotted hold your onward way]
Published in 2 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. Shining out of darkness, came the Christmas time,
With light sublime, with light sublime;
Glory-light from Heaven thrilled the sleeping earth,
The holy night of Jesus’ birth.
Memories of that glory seem to linger still—
To linger still, o’er vale and hill;
Stars of Christmas ever seem more bright, more clear,
Than any star throughout the year.

Refrain
Glory-light came streaming from the court of Heav’n
When Christ—God’s gift to earth—was giv’n;
Shining Christmas tapers, gleam in every clime,
In memory of that Light sublime.

2. Shining o’er the manger where the Christ Child slept,
A star most bright its vigil kept;
Seen afar, all silently it showed the world
The banner fair of love unfurled.
Wondrous star of Bethle’em town, so large, so bright,
O guiding light! O guiding light!
Lead us all to seek the King of kings tonight;
Thou guiding star so bright, so bright! [Refrain]

3. Shepherds on the hillside heard a mighty voice,
A voice that bade the world rejoice;
Fear not! rang the message! ring it out again!
The angels brought good news to men.
Glory in the highest! hosts of angels sang,
Till all the courts of Heaven rang;
Glory in the highest! how it echoes still
That cradle song of Bethle’em’s hill. [Refrain]

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #6039

Author: Flora Kirkland

Flora Kirkland was born in 1862 in Kentucky, before moving to Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from school she became a public school teacher for the seventh grade. She was a member of Tompkins Avenue Congregational Church for which she wrote a number of hymns. She was very active in the Wallabout Bay Mission in that neighborhood of Brooklyn. Most of Wallabout Bay would be filled in to make way for the Brooklyn Navy Yard. She died 17 January 1911. Brooklyn Standard Union, 16 January 1911 Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Shining out of the darkness came the Christmas time
Title: Shining Out of Darkness
Author: Flora Kirkland (1903)
Source: Sunday School Hymns No. 1, by Isaac H. Meredith, Grant C. Tullar & Joseph W. Lerman (New York: Tullar-Meredith Company, 1903), numbers 114 & 253
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Glory light came streaming from the court of heaven
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #6039
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The Cyber Hymnal #6039

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