Music for November 29, 2015 + Advent I

Vocal Music

• Advent Message – Martin How

Instrumental Music

• Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850 – Johann Sebastian Bach
• I want to walk as a Child of the Light – arr. James Biery
• Fantasy on Veni, Veni, Emmanuel – Marilyn Biery

Congregational Music (all hymns from the Hymnal 1982 with the exception of those marked “R” which are from Renew.)

• Hymn 73 - The King shall come when morning dawns (St. Stephen)
• Hymn 615 - “Thy kingdom come!” on bended knee (St. Flavian)
• Hymn 57 - Lo! he comes with clouds descending (Helmsley)
• Hymn 301 - Bread of the world, in mercy broken (Rendez à Dieu)
• Hymn 490 - I want to walk as a child of the light (Houston)
• Hymn 56 - O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, Emmanuel)

This Sunday marks the first Sunday of the church calendar, also known as the First Sunday of Advent. (Liturgy refresher: Advent is the season that occurs four weeks prior to Christmas. It is a time of reflection, waiting and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. Our liturgical color is blue. During the Middle Ages, when blue was an expensive color to reproduce, purple was often used instead. This is why you still see some churches using purple in Advent. Also, purple was used by churches that followed the Roman rite as opposed to the Sarum Rite. Theologically, however, blue is the proper color for this season, because Blue is the color of the Blessed Virgin, and Advent is all about Mary as we await with her the arrival of the Incarnate God. Blue is the color of hope, expectation, confidence, and anticipation. These are all adjectives which describe the season of Advent.