For lo! the day will surely come

For lo! the day will surely come;

God's promises will be fulfilled.

God's children will be safely home,

And justice done as God has willed.

 

So be on guard and not weighed down

With worries and desires in vain;

But pray that you may yet endure

To stand before the Son of Man.

 

May God give you the strength of heart

To stand in truth and without blame,

To welcome Christ and all his saints

And at his coming praise his name.

 

 

 

Text: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2020, after Advent 1C scriptures 

(Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13)

Music: Suggested tune VOM HIMMEL HOCH, Schuman's Geistliche Lieder, 1539

Another contribution to the Advent Hymnary project, moving to year C.

Behold and see the promise come

Behold and see the promise come; a woman who will bear a son.

A sign is given from God above, the true and only Holy One.

 

Behold and hear the holy Word, the gospel of God's only Son:

Once promised in the prophets' lore, now see the long-awaited one.

 

Behold and see the troubled man, the father of God's Holy Son;

In faith he heeds the angel's call to care for God's Anointed One.

 

Behold and hear the call today to follow God's most favored Son,

To serve and work and witness sure, to live in Christ who makes us one.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2020, after Advent 4A scriptures

MUSIC: Tune PUER NOBIS NASCITUR, Trier ms., 14^th cent.; adapt. Michael Praetorius, 1609; harm. George Ratcliffe Woodward, 1910.

Another hymn for the Advent Hymnary project; also, a potential substitute for a cycle of hymns for Year A Sundays, more general in nature than "When Joseph learned," originally created for Advent 4A. For churches that use a "Watch-Prepare-Rejoice-Behold" theme for Advent (which works very well in year A), this fits the "behold" theme well, obviously.

Hope is born

Hope is born, this night in Bethlehem.

The star leads on and calls us ever to One who forsakes us never.

Hope is born, this night in Bethlehem.

 

“Peace on earth,” a heavenly choir sings on,

“For now our God who reigns on high in this child has come down nigh.”

“Peace on earth,” a heavenly choir sings on.

 

“Great, great joy!” the angels sing their song.

“For you is born a Savior holy; yet he rests in manger lowly.”

“Great, great joy!” the angels sing their song.

 

Love has come; our life is now made new;

For like a candle breaks the night, this child comes as sacred light.

Love has come; our life is now made new.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, December 2018, revised August 2020 (after liturgy by Anna Traynham)

MUSIC: Tune STILL, STILL, STILL, Austrian Carol

As noted, this is a revision of an earlier hymn for Christmas Eve 2020, found here. The revision is fairly straightforward in that the original three verses are reversed in order and a fourth added, allowing for this hymn originally designed for Christmas Eve to recapitulate the hope-peace-joy-love cycle (associated with Advent and wreath lightings in many churches) more completely. As this set of Advent songs is not bound to a particular year's readings it may be usable in any Advent cycle. 

A hymn set for Advent B

 A set of hymns for the four Sundays of the not-as-far-away-as-you-think season of Advent, year B.

Advent 1B: I thank my God for you each time I pray

I thank my God for you each time I pray for God to keep you blameless on that day.

God gives true grace to you in Christ the Son, so you are strengthened by the Holy One.

I thank my God for you each time I pray for God to keep you blameless on that day.

 

The Word of Christ is strong among you all, so you lack nothing for your spiritual call.

Now wait for the revealing of God's Son; receive the strength of God's own Holy One.

I thank my God for you each time I pray for God to keep you blameless on that day.

 

God is a faithful God, who calls to you to live, in everything you say and do,

In fellowship with Jesus, God's own Son, the Christ, the Savior, God's own Holy One.

I thank my God for you each time I pray for God to keep you blameless on that day.

 

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, May 2020, after 1 Cor. 1:3-9 (Advent 1B)

MUSIC: Tune VENITE ADOREMUS, Italian folk melody, Children's Praise, 1871 (10.10.10.10 with refrain)

 

 

Advent 2B: It was written by the prophet

It was written by the prophet named Isaiah in that day: 

"See, a messenger before you, one who will prepare your way."

Crying out in darkest night, one who comes to show the light.

 

"In this time of bleakest chaos, now prepare the Lord a way;

Make a path both true and certain for the One who comes this day."

Prophet words foretold the light, all amidst the dark of night.

 

John was he who spoke this message, out in Jordan's wilderness;

Preaching and baptizing freely, both to chastise and to bless

All who did confess their sin. Then he placed this hope within:

 

"He who comes with heav'nly power brings the Spirit now to bless,

Far beyond this splash of water in this lonely wilderness."

Now prepare your hearts within, that your life be whole again.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, June 2020, after Mark 1:1-8 (Advent 2B)

MUSIC: Tune IRBY, Henry John Gauntlett, 1849. (8.7.8.7.7.7.)

Advent 3B: Rejoice! Rejoice in every time

Rejoice! Rejoice in every time! Give thanks in every way.

Give thanks for Christ, the Holy One, until that promised day,

Until that promised day.

 

Live life in prayer without an end; live prayer in all you say.

Hold fast to good, and shun the wrong until that promised day,

Until that promised day.

 

Let Spirit flame burn bright in you at home, at work, at play,

And do not douse that holy fire until that promised day,

Until that promised day:

 

That promised day when Christ shall come, when hope shall be made true,

For faithful is the one who calls to show us life anew,

To show us life anew.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, July 2020 (after 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)

MUSIC: Tune CHRISTMAS, George Frederick Handel, 1728; arr. Lowell Mason, 1821.

Advent 4B: To our God, who holds you strong

To our God, who holds you strong and will not let your soul succumb,

As foretold by Christ the Lord, who was and is and is to come:

Through our Christ, to God be glory, now, forever, Amen!

 

Once concealed in deepest mystery, kept in secret long ago,

Now revealed in prophet story that the world may come to know:

Through our Christ, to God be glory, now, forever, Amen!

 

By command of God eternal is this truth now made full-known,

So we folk of God's creation might true faith both live and own:

Through our Christ, to God be glory, now, forever, Amen!

 

Jesus Christ our only glory, low-born once, will come again;

He who was despised, rejected will on earth forever reign:

Through our Christ, to God be glory now, forever, Amen!

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2020 (after Romans 16:25-27)

MUSIC: Suggested tune REGENT SQUARE, Henry Thomas Smart, 1867

PDFs available.

 

To our God, who holds you strong

To our God, who holds you strong and will not let your soul succumb,

As foretold by Christ the Lord, who was and is and is to come:

Through our Christ, to God be glory, now, forever, Amen!

 

Once concealed in deepest mystery, kept in secret long ago,

Now revealed in prophet story that the world may come to know:

Through our Christ, to God be glory, now, forever, Amen!

 

By command of God eternal is this truth now made full-known,

So we folk of God's creation might true faith both live and own:

Through our Christ, to God be glory, now, forever, Amen!

 

Jesus Christ our only glory, low-born once, will come again;

He who was despised, rejected will on earth forever reign:

Through our Christ, to God be glory now, forever, Amen!

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, August 2020 (after Romans 16:25-27)

MUSIC: Suggested tune REGENT SQUARE, Henry Thomas Smart, 1867

 

 

 

Another hymn for the Advent Hymnary project.