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Hail to the Lord’s Anointed Scroll down for to view the hymn and listen to the audio. “He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth, love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth…” My family lived in the Arkansas delta where Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas all meet the great Mississippi⦠Read More
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed Scroll down for to view the hymn and listen to the audio. Seen for his radical views and staunch position on social justice issues, hymn writer, James Montgomery, originally wrote this as influenced by Psalm 72. As I consider this Advent hymn, it causes me to consider my ancestral heritage and⦠Read More
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Scroll down for to view the hymn and listen to the audio. “Born to reign in us forever, Now thy gracious kingdom bring.” For me, to be a mature, adult disciple of Jesus is to enter into a partnership with God. Together, God and humanity work in the family business of caring⦠Read More
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Scroll down for to view the hymn and listen to the audio. One of my favorite movies is the German film from Tom Tykwer, “Run Lola Run,” released in 1998. Almost a music video, the film invites us into a certain 20 minutes in the lives of the main characters, Lola and⦠Read More
The King of Glory Comes Scroll down for to view the hymn and listen to the audio. I must confess that I don’t know very much about music. I have some basic skills. I can read it well enough to follow along as we sing a hymn in worship; but I can’t tell you much about⦠Read More
The King of Glory Comes This is a jauntier melody than most of our Advent hymns. I can almost envision it as a circle dance with clapping, stomping, and spontaneous whooping for joy. It fits our modern traditions for this time of year of parties and childish excitement. The notations in The Faith We Sing⦠Read More
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel The Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a favorite of mine. Until recently, I was only familiar with verses 1-4, but in preparing this writing I paid closer attention to verses 5-7. I found the words of verse 5 particularly resonant given our nation and world’s political and⦠Read More
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel This has always been a favorite hymn of mine in this Advent season. There is something joyous in singing the refrain. The hope and reassurance of a captive peoples’ ransom and deliverance conjures feelings of gratitude for a righteous God. A sovereignty unparalleled by the world’s pursuits and the world’s⦠Read More
Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah Advent is the season of lights. The shortest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere at least) falls just as Christmas finally arrives. The darkness is what drew the attention of the early drafters of the Christian calendar, and the slow but inevitable return of daylight following⦠Read More
Dear Friends, Advent is once again upon us. It is a season when we reflect on Christ’s first coming and look to the future with hope for his return. During Advent, we are invited to look inward with a spirit of preparation and repentance, making room for Christ to inhabit our hearts. We are also⦠Read More