Vol. 5 // Advent - Christmas - Epiphany

“Comfort, comfort O my people;
speak of peace,” so says our God.
“Comfort those who sit in darkness,
groaning from their sorrows’ load.
Speak to all Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell them that their sins I cover,
that their warfare now is o’er.”

Hear the voice of one who’s crying
in the desert far and near,
calling people to repentance
for the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
let the Valleys rise to meet him
and the hills bow down to him.

Then make straight the crooked highway;
make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
ready for his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er earth is spread abroad,
and all flesh hear love spoken
that his word is never broken.

Lyrics: Johann Olearius, 1671; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.// Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Rachel Mast and Kristina Yoder

Restore us, O God of hosts,
let your face shine, that we may be saved

When we lost the baby, I was broken
Chest split open, heart caught in my throat and
I was chokin’ on the notion,
we were adrift in the ocean
Searching for a rope and
something to hope in Something
to cling to, a song to sing,
but there was no one to sing to
Grief unspoken, belief just a token,
dried up on my tongue, just going through the motions
Like a marionette who had his strings snapped
Every time I try to explain it just falls flat
Like a vase that falls from the shelf can’t fix itself,
But the Potter collects the pieces makes something else
Mix gold in the lacquer, plaster the cracks,
and bring it on back to wholeness,
The boldness to not try to hide the flaws,
to not try to sweep away
The broken bits, mix gold in the dust,
be bold in our trust, put it all on display

Restore us, O God of hosts,
let your face shine, that we may be saved

Joseph had a technicolor dreamcoat
Made his brothers jealous like a raft envying a steamboat
He spoke of visions, and they saw him as a threat,
and they threw him in a well, didn’t get wet,
Yet his brothers got the best of him, sold him upriver
Dagger to their daddy’s heart, pull the arrow from the quiver,
They came quivering and shivering, bowing down before him
God softened his heart and Joseph restored them
When the baby cries in the darkness
A light shines forth, softening the hardness
And all the people living with their backs to the wall
Hear the baby’s call, and maybe they stand tall
I know we can’t all be shepherds in the fields
With the glory of the Heavenly hosts making us kneel
And our zeal turns to steel
when we wheel and we deal
In abstractions, obfuscating what is real,
Like a mother singing in the silence
Her lullaby the roar of a lioness
When the baby cries out, it’s thunder
Shakes the words out my mouth, awestruck in my wonder
That infinite Love wrapped itself in this form
So fragile, clinging to his mother to stay warm
Like a mother hen, gathering us close to the chest
Hope for the oppressed, father for the fatherless
Welcome for the foreigner, provision for the poor
And a vision for those vases broken open on the floor

Restore us, O God of hosts,
let your face shine, that we may be saved

Lyrics: Direct quotation of Psalm 80:7 (NRSV), with verses by Greg Yoder, 2022 // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2022 // Vocals: Greg Yoder, Ebony Nicole, and Kristina Yoder

We give thanks to you, LORD
For your mercies are new every day
And your goodness and love will sustain us.
We give thanks.

We sing praise to you, God,
You have broken the sword and the shield,
And your heart of love you revealed,
and we sing praise.

Teach us your way, teach us your way
That we may fear your name
Teach us to number out our days
That we may know the height and depth and breadth of your love.

Sing praise, sing praise, sing praise to the Holy One
Sing of God’s goodness that fills the whole earth
Sing praise, sing praise, sing praise to the Holy One
Sing and give thanks to the LORD

Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Lauren Yoder and Mitchell Yoder

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, Blessed are the meek, Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are the meek, blessed are the meek,
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
Blessed are you

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
Blessed are you

Lyrics: Direct quotation of Matthew 5:3-6 from NRSV // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Jessica DiPuma

Hear, O LORD,
when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer

Hear, O LORD,
when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me
be gracious to me
be gracious to me and answer me!

Lyrics: Direct quotation of Psalm 27:7 (NRSV) // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Ebony Nicole

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Lyrics: Direct quotation of Psalm 27:1 (NRSV) // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Ebony Nicole, Greg Yoder, and Kristina Yoder

ׁ ִשֽירוּ לַֽיהוָה ׁ ִשֽיר ָח ָֽדשׁ ׁ ִשֽירוּ לַֽיהוָֽה כָּל־ ָהאָֽ ֶרץ׃

ׁ ִשֽירוּ לַֽיהו ָה ָבּ ֲרכֽוּ ׁ ְש ֹמֽו ַבּ ּ ְׂשרֽוּ ִמ ֹּֽיום־לְֽ ֹיֽום י ְשׁוּעָ ֹתֽו׃

Lyrics: Direct quotation of Psalm 96:1-2 (Leningrad Codex) // Music: Anil Solanki, used with permission // Vocals: Seth Crissman

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee,
O Israel.

Lyrics: 6th-7th century Latin hymn, tr. J.M. Neale, 1851 // Music: Anon., 15th century // Vocals: Stephen Horst, Kristina Yoder, and Greg Yoder

Because of the tender mercy of our God,
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
By which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to us from heaven

Rescue us from our pride and our arrogance.
And cover us in your mercy, O rising Son
Rescue us from our hate and indifference.
And cover us in your shadow, Almighty One.

And lead us in your way of peace
And lead us in your way of peace
And lead us in your way of peace
Amen, Amen, Amen.

Because of the tender mercy of our God

Lyrics: Direct quotation of Luke 1:78 (NIV) with additional words by Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Seth Crissman and Taylor Bess

For your goodness and your mercy, we will sing
For your goodness and your mercy, we will sing
Each breath a hallelujah
Each song our offering
For your goodness and your mercy, we will sing

Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022 // Vocals: Taylor Bess, Kristina Yoder, and Greg Yoder

Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing of the wonderful birth,
Tell of salvation from day to day.
Oh, sing to the Lord, all the earth
Oh, sing to the Lord, all the earth

Sing his glory among the nations,
Behold his marvelous works
Sing to the Lord of all creation;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth
Sing to the Lord, all the earth

Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty and light
the mountains cry out, and the hills that adore him
Sing with us into the night,
Sing with us into the night

Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing of the wonderful birth,
Tell of salvation from day to day.
Oh, sing to the Lord, all the earth
Oh, sing to the Lord, all the earth

Let the heavens rejoice,
at the birth of our infant king
Let the earth be glad,
let all the trees of the forest sing
Let the heavens rejoice,
at the birth of our infant king
Let the seas resound,
let all the trees of the forest sing

Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing of the wonderful birth,
Tell of salvation from day to day. Oh, sing to the Lord, all the earth
Oh, sing to the Lord, all the earth

Lyrics: Jackson Maust, 2022, based on Psalm 96 // Music: Greg Yoder and Jackson Maust, 2022 // Vocals: Jackson Maust, Mitchell Yoder, and Greg Yoder