Rise Up Shepherd & Follow ValLimar Jansen, Frank Jansen,	(Based on 1 vote)

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Lyrics

1. There's a star in the East on Christmas morn;
(Rise up, shepherd, and follow.)
It will lead to the place where the Christ is born.
(Rise up, shepherd, and follow.)

Refrain
Follow, follow;
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Follow the Star of Bethlehem;
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
2. Leave your sheep, leave your sheep
and leave your lambs;
(Rise up, shepherd, and follow.)
Leave your ewes and rams,
leave your ewes and rams.
(Rise up, shepherd, and follow.)
3. If you take good heed to the angel's words,
(Rise up, shepherd, and follow.)
You'll forget your flocks, you'll forget your herds.
(Rise up, shepherd, and follow.)

Artist Reflection

What a joyous combination of a few of my greatest loves! Take some of my favorite music (traditional African American spirituals) add one of my favorite times of the year (Christmas) and combine it with one of my favorite things to do (something to help children) and you have the new, very updated version of an old Christmas standard, "Rise Up Shepherd, and Follow."

Why Are Spiritual On My Favorites List? I was already convinced that this African American Christmas carol would be great to sing on a Christmas CD. One of my favorite pastimes is to take traditional African American spirituals and bring a "fresh-ValLimar-arrangement" to them. Spirituals hold so much heavenly power—in their beauty, in their complex simplicity, in how accessible they are for even the average non-singer to find their God-given singing voice, and in how much of a SPIRITUAL message Spirituals convey.

I could write all day on each of the verses and the spiritual message in "Rise Up Shepherd, and Follow." Suffice it to say that our world would be completely transformed if all of us would rise up each day and follow the voice of light, love, and life that calls out to our hearts.

Why is Christmas My Favorite Time of Year? The secular world seems to try harder each year to take the Christ out of Christmas. Just the other day I heard a commercial jingle that shocked me. "We wish you a Happy Holiday. We wish you a Happy Holiday. We wish you a Happy Holiday, and a Happy New Year." Ah, Hah! Did you find yourself singing along? Still I think Christmas is one of the absolute best times of the year. People who may normally never even think of "giving" and "love" and "joy", and "peace" have no power over the Breath of Heaven that mightily descends upon the Earth, this time every year.

Every Christmas, the Holy Spirit descends afresh upon us all, causing Christ to be born anew in our hearts each year. Even non-God people find themselves saying things like, "Have a great time with your family." or "Drive safely out there." or "Staff, you will find in your boxes today, a gift from me. Thank you for all your hard work this past year." Remember, the power of God could change even the crusty Ebenezer Scrooge.

How Are We Helping Children? I love that 25% of the proceeds from the sale of the Christmas Child CD will go to Mercy Corps. In its mission statement Mercy Corps states that it, "Exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities." The official report on Mercy Corps states that, "Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided more than $1 billion in assistance to 81 nations." I especially love how this organization is, "committed to long-term community-based efforts that help people help themselves."

My husband Frank and I are thrilled to be a partners with this organization. It is exciting to know that through our art and ministry, through our humble efforts, children all over the world may be helped. We are glad to have the opportunity to do something for "the least of these." May we rise up and follow the Light of the World, each day. May we continue to do everything we do, it in the name of the Christmas Child!

- ValLimar Jansen