Advent Hymn
COME LORD JESUS, THE LIGHT IS DYING
CHORUS
Come Lord Jesus, the light is dying,
The night keeps crying, come Lord Jesus.
VERSE 1
Christ, come quickly,
There’s danger at the door,
Poverty a-plenty
Hearts gone wild with war,
There’s hunger in the city
And famine on the plain.
VERSE 2
Want demands a hearing,
In far too many lands,
The sick go unattended,
Death deals a heavy hand
The dreams of all are empty,
Their cup of sorrow full.
VERSE 3
The world awaits in darkness
A mighty burst of light,
To set the lame man leaping,
To give the blind man sight,
We have the prophets’ promise.
We await the Prince of peace.
VERSE 4
The clouds shall send a Saviour
Like softly falling rain,
Yet mighty in his power,
To free us from our chains.
His shield will be compassion,
His weapon liberty
COME THOU LONG EXPECTED SAVIOUR
VERSE 1
Come thou long expected Saviour,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee,
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Fond desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
VERSE 2
Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now thy gracious Kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit;
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to thy glorious throne
DEAR MAKER OF THE STARRY SKIES
VERSE 1
Dear maker of starry skies,
Light never lost by faithful eyes,
Christ, the salvation sent to all,
Be near thy servants when they call.
VERSE 2
Thy love that pitied from on high,
A guilty race foredoomed to die,
Was pain that sentence to repeal,
Those failing energies to heal.
VERSE 3
So, at the eventide of earth,
From that bridechamber of thy birth,
Our mortal flesh thou didst assume,
Born of a spotless Virgin’s womb.
VERSE 4
O thou, at whose august decree,
Once heard, creation bends the knee,
While heaven and earth obey thy will,
Trembling before thee, and are still.
VERSE 5
Holiest of holy ones, from whom
Eternity receives its doom,
In this brief world of time, we pray,
Keep Satan’s treacherous darts at bay.
VERSE 6
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Glory and power and majesty
Through everlasting ages be
EMMANUEL
CHORUS
O come we are waiting, (3x)
Emmanuel.
VERSE 1
All who walk in darkness,
Will see a great light,
On a land of deep shadow,
A bright light will shine,
There will be rejoicing,
Like men sharing spoil,
The rod of oppression,
He’ll break and destroy.
VERSE 2
A sign God will give us,
A maid is with child,
He’ll choose only goodness,
And evil destroy,
And the ruling of nations,
On His shoulders will dwell,
And He shall be called Emmanuel.
VERSE 3
The peace He will bring us,
It never will end,
O’er the kingdom of David,
His power will extend;
His justice and mercy
Will never more cease,
Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God, Prince of Peace.
VERSE 4
A shoot springs from Jesse,
A branch from it stems,
And the spirit of Yahweh
Shall rest upon him.
With the poor and the meek,
His justice will stay,
With the breath from his lips
The wicked he’ll slay.
VERSE 5
The wolf and the leopard,
With the lamb they shall lie,
The lion and the calf
Shall be led by a boy,
On the nest to the viper,
The young child shall trod,
For the earth shall be filled
With the knowledge of God
HAIL O MARY FULL OF GRACE
VERSE 1
Hail O Mary full of grace,
Daughter true of David’s race,
Thou of women first and best,
Art beyond all others blest.
VERSE 2
Fear not, thou shalt bear a Son,
Aided by the Holy One,
Greater than the greatest,
He Son of God most high shall be.
VERSE 3
Thus the Holy Angel said.
Blessed Mary bowed her head,
Lo! The handmaid of the Lord,
With His word may all accord.
VERSE 4
So to hearts still undefiled,
Comes this promise of a Child,
Full of joy akin to tears,
Full of hope, yet full of tears.
VERSE 5
Happy she who answers still,
Be it Lord at thy sweet will,
All I am to thee I owe,
All thy purpose thou dost know.
VERSE 6
What thou givest to be mine,
May it ne’er be aught but mine,
Be it good or be it ill,
Still be all at thy sweet will.
VERSE 7
Holy Mary, taught by thee,
Let us vain forboding flee,
God is giving fear must cease,
In His will is perfect peace
O COME, THOU WISDOM WHOSE DECREE
VERSE 1
O come, thou wisdom whose decree,
Doth govern all things peacefully,
The way of prudence here below,
And life hereafter deign to show.
CHORUS
Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel,
Is born to save thee, Israel.
VERSE 2
O come, thou everlasting Lord,
Who once by Israel’s host adored,
Thy dread commandment madest known,
In majesty of glory show.
VERSE 3
O Rod of Jesse, mystic bough,
From Satan’s cruel snares do thou,
From death’s grim dungeon, we implore
And hell’s abyss thine own restore.
VERSE 4
O come, thou Key of David’s store,
Unlock the heavenly gates once more;
Safe journey to thy courts bestow,
And shut the way that leads below.
VERSE 5
O come, thou Daystar seen on high,
With healing for our hearts draw nigh;
Do thou the mists of night dispel,
And death’s foreboding darkness quell.
VERSE 6
O come, of Gentile hearts the King,
A world that needs thee ransoming,
And save thy servants, who confess
With humbled hearts their faithlessness.
VERSE 7
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
Redeem thy captive Israel,
That doth in exile homeless mourn,
Until her Saviour Christ be born
THE COMING OF OUR GOD
VERSE 1
The coming of our God
Our thought must now employ,
Then let us meet him on the road
With songs of holy joy.
VERSE 2
The co-eternal Son
A maiden’s offspring see,
A servant’s form Christ put on
To set his people free.
VERSE 3
Daughter of Sion, rise
To greet thine infant King,
Nor let thy stubborn heart despise
The pardon he doth bring.
VERSE 4
In glory from his throne
Again will Christ descend,
And summon all that are his own
To joys that never end.
VERSE 5
Let deeds of darkness fly
Before the approaching morn,
For unto sin ‘tis ours to die
And serve the Virgin born.
VERSE 6
Our joyful praise sing
To Christ, that set us free,
Like tribute to the Father bring,
And Holy Ghost, to thee
WE LONG TO SEE THEE SO
VERSE 1
We long to see Thee so,
To see the newly Born
We long for Christmas morn,
The sands of time run slow.
CHORUS
O come, O come, O come,
Our Saviour dear to be,
O come, O come, O come,
We have no King but thee.
VERSE 2
We long to see Thee so,
To see the Angels glory,
To hear their midnight story,
And with Thee Shepherds go.
VERSE 3
We long to see Thee so,
No other joys can please us,
We want Thee Baby Jesus,
The sands of time run slow
WHEN HE COMES BACK
CHORUS
When he comes back, (2x)
Our lamps will be burning to welcome him
When he comes back.
VERSE 1
The Master has promised that he will return
On a night when there’s no one expecting
To see him at all,
Keep oil in the lamps so they’re ready to burn
On the night of his secret,
When those who are waiting he’ll call.
VERSE 2
Look not for the Master in heaven’s dark space,
By the light of our living on earth
We’ll discover his face,
The face of the Master is always at hand:
In the face of the stranger, the poor,
In the face of a man.
VERSE 3
This stranger will search for his home
In the night;
And then how will he find it
Unless all the windows are bright?
But if we are waiting – why then he’ll come in
And there’ll be a homecoming
With dancing and singing within