How hard was that journey (website only)

How hard was that journey
For a mother-to-be,
To a cold, dark, strangers' town,
And makeshift nursery?
Yet in that cattle stall
She bore the mightiest King of all.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let the whole world sing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For the birth of our King.

How strange was the vision
Shepherds saw on that night?
Angels bearing wondrous news,
All radiant with light.
Yet in that cattle stall
There shone the brightest hope for all.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let the whole world sing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For the light of our King.

How long was that journey
From the East for those men,
Bearing gifts to an unnamed king,
an unknown Bethlehem?
Yet in that cattle stall
They found the greatest gift of all.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let the whole world sing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For the gift of our King.

How hard is the journey
That the infant must make?
What the cost, from crib to cross,
And all this for my sake?
Yes, from that cattle stall -
The greatest sacrifice of all.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let my whole heart sing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For my saviour and my King.

Words and music: © Paul Thompson

Download words and music as a PDF. And listen to it here:

More information

Paul Thompson is a teacher living in Cheshire. He and his family are members of the Methodist Church in Lymm, where Paul helps run a church music group. He started writing worship songs in 2009 and, since then, a number of them have been used at churches in the Warrington area and been performed on local radio.

Paul writes songs that are of particular value when younger children are involved in worship. See, for example, his lovely Christmas lullaby, Let my Saviour sleep .

In We believe – singing the Apostle’s Creed , Paul also explains why he wanted to re-work a great Christian text into more accessible song form.