Notes on the Notes – December 15, 2024
Third Sunday of Advent
Joy
This week’s music:
“Holy Child Within the Manger”
“Holy Child within the manger, long ago, yet ever near,
Come as friend to ev’ry stranger, come as hope for ev’ry fear.
As you lived to heal the broken, greet the outcast, free the bound.
As you taught us love unspoken, teach us now where you are found.
Once again we tell the story—how your love for us was shown,
When the image of your glory wore an image like our own.
Come, enlighten with your wisdom, come and fill us with your grace,
May the fire of your compassion kindle ev’ry land and race.
Holy Child within the manger, lead us ever in your way,
So we see in ev’ry stranger how you come to us today.
In our lives and in our living give us strength to live as you,
That our hearts might be forgiving and our spirits strong and true.”
The words for our opening hymn were written by Marty Haugen (1987). As we gather in worship, we come again to hear the story of God’s love through Jesus. The tune we will be using is the familiar tune BEACH SPRING.
“Light a Candle”
“Light a candle for joy in the darkness,
In each trial, we know you are near;
Advent watching and waiting for Jesus,
God with us, is wiping our tears,
Emmanuel, joy is here;
Joy is here!
This beautiful new Advent song was written by Lisa Waites in 2018. Each week we will be using a different verse as we light the candles in the Advent wreath. This week we light the candle of joy.
“Come, Come Emmanuel” (MV #11)
“Come, come Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.
Come, come Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.”
This gentle chant will be used as our response to the Words of Assurance during the season of Advent. It was written by James J. Chepponis in 1995.
“Rejoice in the Lord” (VU #249)
“Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
Rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice!
Rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice!”
We will be using this short song as our sung response to this week’s reading from Philippians.
“Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice”
“Wild and lone the prophet’s voice echoes through the desert, still,
Calling us to make a choice, bidding us to do God’s will:
“Turn from sin and be baptized; cleanse your heart and mind and soul.
Quitting all the sins you prized, yield your life to God’s control.”
“Bear the fruit repentance sows: lives of justice, truth, and love.
Trust no other claim than those; set your heart on things above.
Soon the Lord will come in power, burning clean the threshing floor.
Then will flames the chaff devour, wheat alone shall fill God’s store.”
When such preaching stark and bold, John proclaimed salvation near,
And his timeless warnings hold words of hope to all who hear.
So we dare to journey on, led by faith through ways untrod,
Till we come at last like John, to behold the Lamb of God.”
The words of this hymn were written by Carl P. Daw Jr. (1989). It was written by the 1985 Hymn Society of America Advent Hymns competition. Daw says, “I centered this hymn on John the Baptist because he strikes me as the quintessential Advent figure, a person standing between the times who shows us that we also stand between the times. He epitomizes the less comfortable aspect of pastoral care: conveying Good News by exhorting people to change their ways (Luke 3:18).” With that in mind, re-read the words of the hymn. Which lines do you find the most striking and why? How is John’s preaching “words of hope” for us today? The tune is ABERYSTWYTH.
“Light of Peace”
“Light of peace, calm our despair.
Light of hope, lift us up when we fall.
Light of joy, brighten our days,
Light of love, teach us your ways.
Light of life, Maker of day,
Gather our shadows and cast them away.
Beacon of truth gleaming and bright,
Shine in our hearts, shatter our night.
Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee.
Light of life, Maker of day,
Gather our shadows and cast them away.
Beacon of truth gleaming and bright,
Shine in our hearts, shatter our night.
Shine in our hearts, shatter our night.”
This week’s anthem was written by Joel Raney in 2007. It also includes a brief reference to the hymn “Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus,” by Charles Wesley/Rowland H. Prichard.
“In this Advent Time of Waiting”
“In this Advent time of waiting may we serve the Prince of Peace.
Share our gifts with those around us, joy and hope in all increase.
Dream the vision, tell the story, healing bring to those in need.
Share the promises once more, Christ is near, who came before.”
Our offering response for the season of Advent will be sung to a variation of the traditional Polish carol, W ZLOBIE LEZY, known in English as the carol “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.”
“In the Desert”
“When the king shall come again, all his power revealing,
Splendour shall announce his reign, life and joy and healing;
Earth no longer in decay, hope no more frustrated;
This is God’s redemption day longingly awaited.
In the desert trees take root, fresh from God’s creation,
Plants and flowers and sweetest fruit join the celebration;
Rivers spring up from the earth, barren lands adorning;
Valleys, this is your new birth; mountains, greet the morning.
Strengthen feeble hands and knees; fainting hearts, be cheerful!
God, who comes for such as these, seeks and saves the fearful;
Deaf ears hear the silent tongues sing away their weeping,
Blind eyes see the lifeless ones, walking, running, leaping.
There God’s highway shall be seen where no roaring lion,
Nothing evil or unclean walks the road to Zion;
Ransomed people homeward bound, all your praises voicing,
See your Lord with glory crowned, share in his rejoicing.”
The words for our closing hymn were written by Christopher Idle based on Isaiah 35. For Isaiah 35, salvation is imagined in creational terms. The general theme is that desolate, dry places will be transformed into paradise. The words are meant as a comfort to the exiles who have lost their temple, land and sovereignty. “Their suffering is manifested in “weak hands” (verse 3), “feeble knees” (verse 3), a “fearful heart” (verse 4), obscured vision (verse 5), hindered hearing (verse 5), broken bodies (verse 6), and silent tongues (verse 6). The literary “body” constructed in Isaiah 35 has been utterly overwhelmed by despair and weariness. Their capacities needed to move through this world have been diminished. The exiles feel God’s sorrow in their very bodies. The good news is that the God of Jacob does not abandon God’s people to their despair. Their sorrow will come to an end, and the sick body will find new life in God.” (excerpt from Working Preacher.) The holy path and destination of Zion that is referred to is not an exact location, but the place and time when suffering will be no more. The tune we will be using is the tune for the carol, “Good King Wenceslas.”
“May the God of Hope” (VU #424)
“May the God of hope go with us every day,
Filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.
May the God of justice speed us on our way,
Bringing light and hope to every land and race.
Praying, let us work for peace,
Singing, share our joy with all,
Working for a world that’s new,
Faithful when we hear Christ’s call.”
We will be using the first verse of this hymn as our Advent benediction response. It was written in 1984 by Alvin Schutmaat, an American Presbyterian musician, theologian, and educator who taught in South America and Mexico. An educator, theologian and administrator, he used the arts to communicate the gospel. “May the God of Hope” is a song of blessing, justice and peace. The tune is an Argentine folk melody chosen by Alvin Schutmaat for his text.
