Happy New Year!

Good to be away for a while, and to be back at home.
Here's a poem/song for today that we used as an advent hymn:

Christ is Coming
(Tune: Hymn to Joy)
Christ is coming, light the candles
Open hearts, prepare the way
All creation, still in wonder
Longing for a Christ-filled day
Midst the darkness of despairing
From the bleak of wintertide,
Raise this light of expectation, joy and hope in us abide

Christ is coming, light the candles
Shine the light of justice here
Blind have vision, lame are leaping
Day of jubilee draw near
To the center of Christ’s circle
Every outcast welcome in
When compassion knows no limits
Everyone is kith and kin

Christ is coming, light the candles
Hope and joy and peace and love
Christ before us, Christ behind us
Christ beneath and Christ above
Invitation to this myst’ry
By God’s grace it knows no bounds
Light the Christ light in this season
Keep it lit the whole year round

(Feel free to pass it along to a music director near you. All I ask is that it be cited as "copyright 2007, David Ensign.")