A quiet chill that freezes expectation,
the hope of love seems distant and remote
as war and hate are whirling all around us,
we wait for light of which the prophets wrote.
There is no peace, no reconciliation
as factions fired by hatred seethe and kill,
when will it end, this constant devastation,
when will we learn to listen, to be still?
[When will we listen to each other, share one will?]
This advent season, dawn of love’s foundation
is born in darkness of eternal night,
and yet a flicker bids us hasten onward,
as purple shadows hint at morning light.
And in this moment in our preparation
let’s put aside our fripperies and fear,
to make new space for gracious re-creation.
Come God, in love at last, come now, draw near.
[Come God infuse your love in us, O come, draw near.]
Words Andrew Pratt © 2023 © Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk . Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Metre: 11.10.11.10
Tunes: INTERCESSOR, [LONDONDERRY AIR]
Note: Using the tune: INTERCESSOR sing as a four verse hymn. Ignore words in [square] brackets.
Using LONDONDERRY AIR combine verses 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 to make a two verse hymn using the use the words in [square] brackets for the last line of each verse.
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