The grace of God appeared

The grace of God appeared: 

Salvation to us all!

It calls us to live in this age

With godly self-control.

 

The grace of God appeared,

And trains us now to live 

Against the passions of this world,

This grace that God does give.

 

The grace of God appeared; 

In blessed hope we wait

To see the coming of the Christ

Whose glory is so great.

 

The grace of God appeared,

Who gave himself for all; 

He calls us all to God's own work,

To claim God's holy call.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, November 2024, after Titus 2:11-14.

MUSIC: Tune FESTAL SONG, William H. Walter, 1872.

 

 

This might be even more futile than "Come, you faithful ones, rejoicing" for Christmas Eve; here is a text based on a reading from the RCL. Specifically, it's from the Christmas Eve *epistle reading,*, possibly the loneliest text in the RCL. Nonetheless, here it is.

A little apocalypse song (Luke's version)

When our handmade temples have been thrown down,

Not a stone has been left on stone;

When the force of wrong comes to squelch the song

That is all we have ever known;

When wars abound, rumors all around,

And our hearts are bereft and numb,

Don't give in to lies, but look to the skies

For the Son of Man to come.

 

Refrain:

The heavenly signs that will mark the times

Are for all and not just for some;

So raise up your eyes, looking to the skies

For the Son of Man to come.

 

When the false one comes, saying "I am he!", 

Leading millions to go astray,

Let your minds get wise to the blasphemous lies

And hold on to the narrow way.

The prophets false with their vain assaults,

They will fail, so do not succumb!

You will stand up straight as you watch and wait

For the Son of Man to come.

 

Refrain

 

When the fig tree blooms with its leaves of green

Then you know summer's almost here;

When you see these signs, hold this in your minds 

That the reign of our God draws near. 

Be on your guard, though the times are hard,

To injustice do not be numb; 

Be alert always till the final days

When the Son of Man will come!

 

Refrain

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, November 2024, after Luke 21

MUSIC: Tune STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN, Irish melody.

 

For a couple of weeks I've been convinced I would never write another hymn, and I wasn't sure I wanted to. I needed to test myself, and the portion of Luke's "little apocalypse" (as opposed to Mark's) that comes along for Advent 1C somehow became the challenge that drew me out. (The tune is public domain but the arrangement from which I am working is copyright, so I'm being especially cautious here and only giving an incipit.)  I don't expect for this ever to be sung, but maybe it broke the funk.