Music and Liturgy for Advent

Music and Liturgy for Advent was streamed on the HeartEdge Facebook page at 6pm on Monday 17th October. The recording can be found on Facebook or on YouTube here. Below you will find the text of the hymns and the liturgical books that are referred to.

Music and Liturgy for Advent.

E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come by Manz to begin with.

Advent Candle Song by Mark Earey (to the Angel voices tune)]

Advent 1
Advent candles tell their story
as we watch and pray,
longing for the Day of Glory,
'Come, Lord, soon,
" we say.
Pain and sorrow, tears and sadness
changed for gladness
on that Day.

Advent 2
Prophet voices loudly crying,
making pathways clear;
glimpsing glory, self-denying,
calling all to hear.
Through their message - challenged, shaken
hearts awaken:
God is near!

Advent 3
John the Baptist, by his preaching
and by water poured,
brought to those who heard his teaching
news of hope restored:
"Keep your vision strong and steady,
and be ready
for the Lord.

Advent 4
Mary's gift, beyond all telling,
was to give Christ room.
She gave God a human dwelling
in a mother's womb.
Who could guess the final story?
- cross and glory;
empty tomb!

Christmas Day
Advent candles tell their story
on this Christmas Day.
Those who waited for God's glory:
they prepared the way.
Christ is with us: loving, giving,
in us living,
here today!

Mark Earey
Copyright © 2002 Mark Earey

 

Lift up your heads, eternal gates

1 Lift up your heads, eternal gates:
the Lord our God draws near;
the King of glory now awaits,
his hosts in strength appear.

2 What mortal dare ascend God's hill
or reach that holy place?
Not those who plan their neighbours ill
and bring them to disgrace.

3 Yes, all the earth is God's alone,
its compass far and wide,
and in that King upon the throne
our trust and hope reside.

After Psalm 24, David Mowbray (born 1938)
© David Mowbray/Jubilate Hymns
CM

 

 

Come Now, O Prince of Peace

(Ososo in Korean. Written by Kōn-yong Yi and paraphrased by Marion Pope)

1 Come now, O Prince of peace, make us one body.
Come, O Lord Jesus, reconcile your people.

2 Come now, O God of love, make us one body.
Come, O Lord Jesus, reconcile your people.

3 Come now and set us free, O God, our Savior.
Come, O Lord Jesus, reconcile all nations.

4 Come, Hope of unity, make us one body.
Come, O Lord Jesus, reconcile all nations.

 

© 1991, WGRG the Iona Community (Scotland)
 

In a world where people walk in darkness
Let us turn our faces to the light,
to the light of God revealed in Jesus,
to the Daystar scattering our night.
For the light is stronger than the darkness
And the day will overcome the night.
Though the shadows linger all around us,
Let us turn our faces to the light.

In a world where suff'ring of the helpless
Casts a shadow all along the way,
Let us bear the Cross of Christ with gladness
And proclaim the dawning of the day.
For the light is stronger than the darkness
And the day will overcome the night.
Though the shadows linger all around us,
Let us turn our faces to the light.

Let us light a candle in the darkness,
In the face of death, a sign of life.
As a sign of hope where all seems hopeless,
As a sign of peace in place of strife.
For the light is stronger than the darkness
And the day will over come the night.
Though the shadows linger all around us,
Let us turn our faces to the light.

© By kind permission of The Very Revd Robert Willis

 

For the chants:

Wait for the Lord Taizé

Within our darkest Night Taizé

Kindle a flame John Bell

See the worship at the end.

 

Christmas Is coming

'CHRISTMAS IS COMING'
THE CHURCH IS GLAD TO SING
AND LET THE ADVENT CANDLES
BRIGHTLY BURN IN A RING.
1
The first is for God's promise
to put the wrong things right,
and bring to earth's darkness
the hope of love and light.
2.
The second for the prophets,
who said that Christ would come
with good news for many
and angry words for some.
3.
The third is for the Baptist,
who cried, 'Prepare the way.
Be ready for Jesus,
both this and every day.
4
The fourth is for the Virgin,
who mothered God's own son
and sang how God's justice
was meant for everyone.
5.
At last we light the candle
kept new for Christmas day.
This shines bright for Jesus,
new-born, and here to stay.

(LAST CHORUS)
CHRIST IS AMONG US.
THE CANDLES IN THE RING
REMIND US THAT OUR SAVIOUR
WILL LIGHT UP EVERYTHING.

Words and music © 1992 WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland.

 

Advent Evening Service in the style of the Taizé Community

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of light and darkness,
to you be glory and praise for ever. As evening falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. May your word be a lantern to our feet and a light upon our path that we may behold your coming among us. Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness and free our tongues to sing your praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.

 

Chant

Within our darkest night, you kindle the fire that never dies away, that never dies away.

Within our darkest night, you kindle the fire that never dies away, that never dies away.

 

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
Amen.

Psalm

O Lord, you once favoured your land
and revived the fortunes of Jacob,
you forgave the guilt of your people
and covered all their sins.

Will you not restore again our life
that your people may rejoice in you?
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord has to say
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and friends
and those who turn to God in their hearts.
Salvation is near for the God-fearing,
and Glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.

The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march in the forefront
and peace shall follow the way.

from Psalm 85

 

Reading

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.  

Romans 11:36-44

 

Short Silence

 

Chant

Wait for the Lord, whose day is near.

Wait for the Lord: keep watch take heart!

 

Long Silence

 

Intercessions

Using the sung response:

Kindle a flame to lighten the dark

and take all fear away

 

God our Father, we bless you for having called us to know you, to love you and to live with you. Maranatha, the Lord is coming!

You sent your beloved Son, your perfect image and the reflection of your face; he became like us in all things but sin. Maranatha, the Lord is coming!

In him you proclaimed the good news of your Kingdom; you forgive our offenses and heal our wounds. Maranatha, the Lord is coming!

Keep us in the communion of your Son; keep us alert as we wait for the day of his coming. Maranatha, the Lord is coming!

Give us your peace, so that we can communicate it to one another in mutual love, and serve the human family. Maranatha, the Lord is coming!

 

Our Father ...
 

 

Closing prayer

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.

 

 

Liturgical resources for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany

A Star-Filled Grace by Rachel Mann (Wild Goose Publications)

Sounding the Seasons by Malcolm Guite (Canterbury Press)

Dreamers and Stargazers by Chris Thorpe (Canterbury press)

Wild Goose big book of worship resources (Wild Goose Publications)

Cloth for the Cradle (Wild Goose Publications)

 

Internet resource:

https://worshipwords.co.uk/ describes itself as “creative and refreshing liturgy for today’s church”. The language is all inclusive and it includes sections on times of the churches year. It includes new hymns, poetry, prayers, images and whole orders of service.

 

Referred to in previous workshops and with good resources for Advent:

“Common Worship: Times and Seasons” by Church of England (publisher: Church House Publishing) (available in multiple bookshops)

“Living Word” is available from Redemptorist Press here: https://www.rpbooks.co.uk/the-cw-living-word.

“The Pattern of our Days” by The Iona Community, edited by Kathy Galloway (publisher: Wild Goose Publications) (limited availability but a lot of material is available as E-books or  E-Liturgies on IonaBooks.com)

“Liturgies from Lindisfarne – Prayers and services for the pilgrimage of life” by Ray Simpson (publisher: Kevin Mayhews) (available in multiple bookshops)

 

Wooden Advent Ring available from https://www.chapelinthefields.org.uk/items-for-sale.html

 

Music

Sing Praise (Canterbury Press)

Ancient and Modern: Hymns and Songs for Refreshing Worship (Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd)

In Every Corner Sing ed. Geoff Weaver (Royal School of Church Music)

Innkeepers & light Sleepers (Iona Community)