"What Child Is This?" preference....

Thanks for everyone’s input.

The day I posted the question, I’d been watching Hour of Power from the Crystal Cathedral, on which their musical guest sang the carol with the nails verse. Now, CC has often been accused of prettying things up a bit too much (like singing “My hope is based on nothing less/ Than Jesus’ LOVE and righteousness” when the original word is BLOOD). Now, on the other hand, the Glory of Easter pageant doesn’t sanitize the Crucifixion nor did CC shy away from THE PASSION movie.

On the other hand, in my church, the Assembly of God, where we regularly sing about The Blood, the official AoG hymnal just uses “This, this is Christ the King” as the chorus for each verse. Since we also use song leaders & overhead projections, however, about have the time “Nails” does get used.

“Nails” also goes better with the second verse, where it’s pointed out that the barn is not a good place for a newborn, and that sin and redemption is part of the tableau.