Songs and Hymns for Advent 1A (November 27, 2022)

See also general Advent songs.

Isaiah 2:1-5
Come let us go to the mountain of God; swords into ploughshares.

• SFFS 2202 / URW059 Come Away with me to a quiet place (Mary Nelson Keithahn) A lovely simple song of sanctuary and quietness. Lyrics.
• FFS04 Be still my heart (John Murray) A good opening to worship. With two possible simple tunes. "Be still my heart, my mind, my busy world that I may hear God's word". Lyrics and partial sheet music sample.
  
• Cha673 / URW145 Gonna Lay Down My Sword and Shield / Down by the Riverside (African-American) A good traditional and fun song to sing if you are focussing on the "study war no more" part of the reading. History and lyrics. Lyrics & sheet music. Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• W&R655 / URW202 Come Away from Rush and Hurry (Marva Dawn) Excellent words of resting in a sacred space to the familiar tune BEACH SPRING (TiS 493). Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• NCH107 / LBW633 / ELW242 / GtG107 / GC346 / GC(II)351 / G(3)423 / W&R160 / Cha138 / Lau157 Awake Awake and greet the new morn (Marty Haugen) Joyful Advent song, looking forward to justice and healing of all. Sheet music and lyric samples.
• TiS 666 / AoV2-113 / AoVK-126 / ATOK 409 / NCH526 / Iona (Common Ground, Freedom is Coming) / CH516 / VU646/647 / WoV650 / ELW866 / A&M483 / SFFS 2235 / HPP153 / GtG853 / G(II)357 / GC513 / GC(II)516 / G(3)594 / Cha442 / SP235 / Srce737 / StF483 / MP954 We are marching in the light of God / Siyahamba / Caminando (South African) A very popular chorus, with possible alternate verses, depending on your source. Sometimes people get anxious about the word "marching", but remember that this song comes from apartheid-era South Africa, where people were protesting so that they could vote in their own country. Sound sample. Good for kids.
• CH716 / VU374 / FFS10 / SFFS 2128 / W&R477 / Cha575 Come and find the quiet centre (Shirley Murray) A good song for the beginning of worship. I would prefer to sing this to one of the more traditional melodies offered (Tune 1 in FFS) or BEACH SPRING (TiS 493). Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes.
• NCH112 Keep awake be always ready (Arthur Clyde) Excellent words about Christ's coming to bring peace. It's sung to the traditional hymn tune for "Wake awake for night is flying" (WACHET AUF), but is not simply a "rewrite". I particularly like the second verse of this one. "Rise and shine for One is coming whose love will quench all nature's thirsting to be made whole for evermore". Sheet music sample. New words to old tunes.
• CH195 / StS053 / AA061 Here to the house of God we come (Shirley Murray) Good honest and challenging words and a simple, but unusual tune. Lyrics.
• UMH729 / VU682 / WoV762 / LBW161 / ELW771 /  PH450 / CP573 / W&R539 / Cha711 /  URW140 / 82Hml-597 / Lau900 O day of peace that dimly shines (Carl Daw) A song of hoped-for peace for all of creation. The tune in Chalice hymnal is really nice (CANDLER). Other sources use JERUSALEM, which is a bit too militaristic for me. Lyrics and sheet music.New words to old tunes.
• Iona (Sent By The Lord) / CH275 / VU34 / ELW247 / A&M029 / SFFS 2232 / GtG103 /  CP588 / W&R157 / SP10 / STB241 / URW415 Come now O Prince of peace / Ososŏ (Geon-Yong Lee) A lovely simple and gentle song, inclusive for God and people. One of very few songs from Asia in Western hymnals. Lyric video (in Korean, so you can get the pronunciation).
  
• Online Resource Plowshare prayer (Spencer LaJoye) An amazing song, particularly appropriate for anyone who has been excluded from the church or has gone through any sort of conversion therapy; it has direct connection to this passage and a very specific focus on LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Youtube. Sheet music.
  
• Online Resource The prophets caught a vision (David Bjorlin) A song about the vision of the prophets, and our call to have prophetic visions too. Set to the old Welsh tune LLANGLOFFAN. Sheet music sample, lyrics and purchasing options. New words to old tunes.
• AoV1-071 / GA530 / GC(II)742 / G(3)837 / Lau462 Gather Your People (Bob Hurd) Excellent eucharistic theology. Sound sample. Lyric and sheet music sample.
• Online Resource Come let's walk the path of light (Jennie Gordon) Lovely words to the tune "Twinkle Twinkle little star" based on Isaiah 2:5; would be suitable for candle-lighting any year, and great for congregations with small children. Lyrics. New words to old tunes. 
  
• TiS 473 / NCH314 / W&R615 / Cha655 / StF681 Community of Christ (Shirley Murray) Beautiful words to a traditional Hebrew synagogue melody (LEONI). Easy to sing. Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes.
• TiS 132 / AHB 65 / NCH277 / CH651 / UMH64 / VU315 / LBW165 / ELW413 / A&M276 / HPP243 / GtG001 / PH138 / G(II)332 / GC475 / GC(II)483 / CP001 / CP(E) 202 / W&R136 / Cha004 / Srce243 / 82Hml-362 / Lau468 / StF011 / MP237 Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (Reginald Heber) Old other-worldly language, but a surprisingly inclusive (in most hymnals) classic, and a great rousing hymn tune. Different resources have slightly altered lyrics. A surprisingly non-inclusive sample can be found here. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• G(II)525 / GC727 / A&M560 / SP244 / URW335 How Good It Is, what pleasure comes (Ruth Duck) Good words celebrating the joy of a faithful community. Sung to a familiar shape note tune. Lyrics and sample sheet music. Midi file of tune.
• ATFG510 Sing a song of praise and glory / Advent News (Donald Schmidt) A fun and simple advent song - would be good any week of Advent, but fits particularly well this week. Sheet music. Good for kids.

Psalm 122
Glad to go to God's house - pray for peace - suggestions for the Hebrew Scripture Lesson would also fit well.

• CH083 / A&M292 / GtG400 / PfAS122B / SP112 / URW321 / StF026 / Lau992 I Rejoiced when I heard them say (Bernadette Farrell) A really lovely and simple to sing arrangement of this Psalm, with a chorus of "Shalom, shalom, the peace of God be here. Shalom, shalom, God's justice be ever near". URW suggests passing the peace during the refrain if desired. Sound sample (youtube).  
• AoV1-190 / UMH431 / HPP308 / G(II)529 / GC731 / GC(II)723 / W&R614 / Cha677 / G(3)829 Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me (Sy Miller / Jill Jackson) Well known, and great for older kids. AoV changes "Brothers all are we, let me walk with my brother" to "We are family. Let us walk with each other". Good for kids. Lyrics, sheet music, sound samples. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• PfAS122D(ii) Dona dona dona nobis pacem (Hermann Rauhe)  A very simple round. I'm not sure why you wouldn't just sing the well known folk Dona Nobis Pacem instead though. That too would make a good Psalm refrain.
• Cha761 God has made me glad (Leona von Brethorst) This is a psalm response using that old chorus probably best known as "He has made me glad". I think this could work fairly well as it would be very familiar, particularly for slightly older congregations. Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• AoV1-106 / UMH376 / WoV774 / ELW753 / GtG752 / G(II)528 / GC730 / GC(II)724 / G(3)822 / CP562 /  Cha297 / URW443 / 82Hml-712 / Lau904 / LUYH073 Dona Nobis Pacem (American folk song) This is very well known, and would fit well with this reading as a Psalm refrain. Sound sample. Good for kids Oldy-but-a-goody.
• NCH741 I was glad when they said unto me (Robert Wooten) Very simple and straightforward chorus for this Psalm. Sound sample.
  
• Emergent Psalter Because of the house of the Lord your God (Isaac Everett) A good and simple Psalm refrain. Refrain only for download.
  
• Online Resource / PfAS122A Rejoice rejoice come sing with me (Adam Tice) Joyful call and response, sung to the tune FOREST GREEN. Happy! Lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options.
  

Romans 13:11-14
The day is near. Live honourably

• NCH112 Keep awake be always ready (Arthur Clyde) Yes, it works for this reading too. Excellent words about Christ's coming to bring peace. It's sung to the tune for "Wake awake for night is flying", but is not simply a "rewrite". I particularly like the second verse of this one. "Rise and shine for One is coming whose love will quench all nature's thirsting to be made whole for evermore". Sheet music sample.
• ATOK 390 Put on love every day, never hide your love away (Mary Lu Walker) A groovy song that's good for kids. Sound sample.
• Taizé / CH276 / VU22 / GtG090 / ELW262 / GA283 / A&M053 / G(II)256 / GC332 / GC(II)340 / G(3)406 / CP094 / W&R166 / PfAS037B / SP28 / URW396 / Lau088 Wait for the Lord (Jacques Berthier) "Wait for the Lord whose day is near, wait for the lord, keep watch, take heart". A lovely simple Taizé chant. Some older versions are not inclusive. Sheet music, translations and sound samples. 
• AoV2-003 / ATOK 313 / CH543 / StJ / GA404 / A&M042 / ELW715 / GtG314 / GC(II)512 / G(3)590 / SP13 / URW114 / Lau883 / StF706 Longing for light we wait in darkness / Christ, be our light (Bernadette Farrell) One of my favourites, especially if someone can sing or play the descant line in the later verses. Sound sample and lyrics. Good for kids.
• TiS 630 / AHB 554 The law of Christ alone can make us free (James McAuley) …and love is the fulfilling of the law. A good song with excellent words from an Australian poet. Not entirely enclusive. The tune may be tricky if not familiar, so you may need to introduce the melody to your congregation. Lyrics.
  
• NCH590 / CH621 Spirit of Jesus, if I love my neighbour (Brian Wren) Challenging words of offering help from a position of privilege and seeking to be set free from the entrapment of possessions “If I am hugging safety or possessions, uncurl my spirit as your love prevails, to join my neighbours, work for liberation, and find my freedom at the mark of nails”. Could also be sung to the tune PERFECT LOVE if your congregation woudl have trouble with the newer tune. Sheet music & lyrics.New words to old tunes.
• ATW 498 / Iona (T1AU) / MV 196 / SP&P182 / URW438 We will take what you offer (John Bell) An excellent simple short song that works well either as an upbeat chorus or as a reflective chant. "We will take what you offer. We will live by your word. We will love one another. And be fed by you Lord". Good for kids. Sound sample and mp3 for purchase.
• TiS 416 Great God your Spirit like the wind (Alan Gaunt) Excellent words asking for God to shake us out of our complacency and give us compassion. I really wish it was set to a different tune - it is set to JERUSALEM and this seems to suck all the power out of the lyrics for me. It works with MAGNIFICAT (TiS173) which is fairly straightforward so I would try that if it's not too confusing for the congregation. Power point slides. New words to old tunes.
• NCH089 / 82Hml-009 Awake awake to love and work (Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy) Easy to sing and wonderful words of getting up and getting going in doing what's needed. I especially like the 3rd verse. Sung to the familiar tune MORNING SONG. Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes.

Matthew 24:36-44 
No-one knows the day or the hour. Keep awake! Be ready!
See the General Advent suggestions.

• STB202 Jesus the Lord stands with the poor (Ron O'Grady) Excellent words of Christ in the poor, the victim, the beggar. Powerful. 
• Online Resource / Walk as One Hear our sorrow Mothering God (Rosie O'Reilly) A simple chant that would work well during prayers of the people or prayers of confession. Book (PDF) for purchase.
  
• MV19 Maranatha (Louise Skibsted) This simple chant, simply “Maranatha, Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus, come” might work well if you are having a more meditative approach to the Advent season. Sound sample.
  
• NCH112 Keep awake be always ready (Arthur Clyde) And it works for this reading too! Excellent words about Christ's coming to bring peace. It's sung to the tune for "Wake awake for night is flying", but is not simply a "rewrite". I particularly like the second verse of this one. "Rise and shine for One is coming whose love will quench all nature's thirsting to be made whole for evermore". Sheet music sample. New words to old tunes.
• Recorded music I want to be ready when Jesus comes (Dottie Peoples) This could be fun if you have a little gospel choir and it fits the reading really well. Youtube.
• Recorded Music I want to be ready (Ben Harper) I love Ben Harper, and this will work for some congregations... Sound sample on youtube.
• Online Resource Hold on now good earth, all creation (Sarah Agnew) Thoughtful new words to the traditional tune "Bring a torch Jeanette Isabella". Lovely. Lyrics. Sheet music (traditional words). New words to old tunes
• TiS 272 / AHB 200 / NCH122 / CH472 / UMH196 / VU002 / LBW030 / ELW254 / A&M030 / HPP89 / PH001/002 / GtG082/083 / GC323 / GC(II)345 / G(3)403 / CP088 / CP(E) 24 / W&R153 / Cha125 / URW101 / 82Hml-066 / Lau100 / StF169 / MP102 Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus (Charles Wesley) Most versions of this old hymn are quite inclusive, although still quite old fashioned. The New Century Hymnal replaces the kingly language in verses 3 and 4 with something less (um….) kingly. Sheet music, lyrics and sound sample. Oldy-but-a-goody.

Share your ideas below, especially if there's a great song that I've missed!