Welcome to Advent 2!

This week we’ve lit the 2nd candle of the Advent wreath, which represents Peace. This week’s lectionary readings are prayers to God for peace, for reconciliation and for restoration.

In this second week, we hear the themes of both preparing the way of (and for) the Lord and of offering comfort and peace to others. In the beautiful paradoxes of our faith, we’re called to both get busy with the preparations (including repentance) and find comfort, peace and stillness in the waiting.

Our version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel for week 2 comes from Matt Maher. I selected it because it’s a bit quiet and meditative to start but builds to remind our weary souls to indeed rejoice, for help is on its way.

Comfort, Comfort Now My People | The text of the original hymn (which is often sung only once a year, if at all!) dates to 1671. Read more at Hymnary. Since we don’t get to hear it often enough, here are three versions for you.

This is a version by a group dedicated to re-introducing hymns to the church.

Here is an instrumental version by Steve Eulberg that will bring you comfort AND joy -- no words, just dulcimer.)

And one more, for good measure, from the phenomenal group The Many.

Come Ye Sinners | This hymn is usually reserved for Lent because of its overt call to repentance, but it’s perfect for Advent, as well. Repentance is an integral part of reconciliation, and reconciliation in turn is integral to peace with justice in our world. I’m particular to Celtic settings of this tune (see Hymnary for some of the background about the text and tune) and this “greengrass” version by Irish singer/songwriters Keith & Kristyn Getty fits the bill perfectly.

The Promise | There can be power in repetition of a phrase whether in meditation or song. I find this song by Michael W. Smith to be both comforting and empowering with the repeated phrase “We’re singing Hallelujah/Emmanuel, Our God is with us”.

Every valley shall be exalted (from Handel’s Messiah) | Ever since I was 14 years old and sang Handel’s Messiah for the first time, it’s impossible for me to hear the words of Isaiah 40 and not think of The Messiah… so how could I not include it in this list?

Ready the Way | It’s all well and good to channel the prophets - Isaiah and John the Baptist - to shout “Prepare the way” but what does that really mean? Repentance is a word we shy away from - maybe because we’ve been conditioned to hear it in tandem with warnings of hellfire and brimstone, but I find great comfort when I bring repentance in alongside a few other “re-” words: redemption, reconciliation and ready. The process of making the way ready for the Savior is one where we are made whole, and as we are transformed, so is the world around us. That’s our message of comfort - it’s surely not about the abdication of our actions to a Savior who swoops in; instead, we have the opportunity to be healed and participate in the healing of others - that’s how we bring about the Kin-dom of God. It’s something we do every single day, Advent or not.

Prayer of St. Francis | This is such a well-known prayer, but it’s not one you’d usually associate with Advent. I think we should. As we participate in the Kin-dom of God, as we experience the peace of Christ, one of our responses should be that we want to relay that peace to others. Indeed, anything we experience because of God’s love for us is something we, in turn, want to offer to every person we encounter, a sentiment this prayer certainly conveys.

He Has Come For Us [God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen] | Now I know you might be thinking, isn’t God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen more of a Christmas song than an Advent tune? Possibly, but I hope you’ll allow me this indulgence. It is a dark time, a waiting time, and yet we can still share tidings of great comfort, of great joy, simply by sharing the story of this Jesus who has come for us and will come for us again.

Peace Be Still | Have you ever felt reticent to accept the peace that is around you? Like you can’t quite trust something that’s not chaotic because we’re so used to being busy, so used to the chaos? What else might we be missing because we’re not trusting in the promises that Jesus gives us? What if we were able to just let that peace wash over us, even in the midst of the swirling storms of life?

Prepare Ye/Gethsemane | If you know musical theatre, you might know both of these songs and perhaps the singer, Michael Ball (the original Marius in Les Miserables.) Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord) is from Godspell, Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar. Putting them together juxtaposes the realities of our liturgical lives: we’re preparing for our Savior, for the Kin-dom of God, but before we can quite get there, we’ll have to watch and wait again with Him in the Garden.

Here are all of the songs as one YouTube playlist.

And here are all of the songs as a Spotify playlist.

May the peace of the Coming Savior surround you and comfort you as we continue our watchful waiting.