The Lord be with you.

As we enter this season of Advent,

may the love of God the Father, and the grace of Jesus the Son,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be and abide with us all.

King of glory, you are God.

You are powerful.

You rule the entire world.

We praise you because you are so great.

But you became a baby.

You were tiny and weak.

You were just like us.

We praise you because you came,

and we look forward to when you will come again.

In your name we pray. Amen.

Gracious God,

sometimes we see your hand in little events,

and sometimes we see it in the broad sweep of history.

Stir our hearts, that we might be people of hope;

help us seek you in your Word;

and keep us from growing weary as we wait—

that we may not miss the glory of your appearing.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]

What can I give him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man, I would do my part.

Yet what I can, I give him, give him my heart.

Keith also collaborated with his wife Kristyn on “Imagine,” a song of longing that would be very appropriate during Advent or any service where the emphasis is on invitation and healing. The song, written in first-person singular, both invites and addresses those who hunger and thirst and suffer, helping broken people to imagine a new thing. Perhaps this song could be sung in connection with a passage from Isaiah, who called out to the people of Israel when they were lost, helping prepare them for the coming Messiah: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19). Helping people imagine a new thing may provide the context for them to hear good news.

 

But the question can also be addressed to the church: Who among us hears the voice of the hungry, the thirsty? Everyone can be challenged in this song—those longing for someone to help them (that is, everyone!) as well as those committed to helping others see Christ in us.

 

Because of that double meaning, consider having a choir or soloist sing the first time; perhaps another time invite everyone to join on the second stanza. The music is a bit more challenging for congregations, and the text is less like a hymn than the two earlier examples, but this song is still very accessible.

(from Reformed Worship, Issue 81)