For St.Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Course, Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship, Dan Wilt
Finally my final project is done. Sorry for the lateness…I had great aspirations to do a mosaic for this, but it slowly turned into a total disaster, which turned into a painting, which turned into another disaster and made it’s way into the trash for pick up. So now at the 11th hour I decided to write a song, since that is what works for me.
It is called Immanuel and is a song for Advent. I love the Christmas season so much and have really valued the teaching from Ancient-Future Time by Robert Webber on Advent and the meaning of the season. I took his ideas on the three “comings” that make up advent to create this song. The three main focuses are:
1 – our expectation of Christ’s return and the renewal of the whole earth at the end of history
2 – our longing for Him to come into our hearts and for us to be aware of Him on a continual, daily basis
3 – His coming to earth incarnationally to eventually bring redemption to the world
Ultimately it is the Kingdom theology always coming into play. The Kingdom is the now and the not yet. Christ came, is coming now, and will come again. This song hopefully depicts those events.
Here are the lyrics:
Immanuel
In this advent time we look to your coming once again
We wait with expectation for our Messiah to return
Immanuel, Immanuel
Your kingdom comes
As You come to us
Jesus the Son
Revealed to us
We light a candle for you, so we remember that your birth
Has brought us all redemption through incarnation come to earth
Immanuel, Immanuel
We desire for You to renew our faith in You today
To turn our hearts toward You, to be reborn in us each day
Immanuel, Immanuel
Crystal,
Once again, a beautiful rendering of ideas that keep the universe on their course. Lovely piece. Yes, we can work some of the words. The concept and spirit of the piece lives and breathes, and resonates with the history we’ve studied.
A great culmination to the last weeks.
Thank you.
What a beautiful melody! What beautiful piano playing! What beautiful words! Thanks for contributing to the riches of worship offered to the King and for letting us share.
jason