Above:  Icon of the Apocalypse of Saint John

Image in the Public Domain

Original German Text by Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608)

English Translation by Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935)

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

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Wake, O wake!  with tidings thrilling

The watchman all the air are filling,

Arise, Jerusalem, arise!

Midnight strikes!  no more delaying,

“The hour has come!” we hear them saying.

Where are ye all, ye virgins wise?

The Bridegroom comes in sight,

Raise high your torches bright!  Alleluya!

The wedding song

Swells loud and strong:

Go forth and join the festal throng.

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Sion hears the watchmen shouting

Her heart leaps up with joy undoubting,

She stands and waits with eager eyes;

see her Friend from heaven descending,

Adorned with truth and grace unending!

Her light burns clear, her star doth rise.

Now come, thou precious Crown,

Lord Jesu, God’s own Son!  Hosanna!

Let us prepare

To follow there,

Where in thy supper we may share.

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Every soul in thee rejoices;

From men and from angelic voices

Be glory given to thee alone!

Now the gates of pearl receive us,

Thy presence never more shall leave us,

We stand with Angels round thy throne.

Earth cannot give below

The bliss thou dost bestow.  Alleluia!

Grant us to raise

To length of days,

The triumph-chorus of thy praise.

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Above:  Saint John and the Cup, by El Greco

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1916 (1918), The Episcopal Church

A hymn for the Feast of St. John the Evangelist

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O Thou, Who gav’st Thy servant grace

On Thee the living Rock to rest,

To look on Thine unveiled face,

And lean on Thy protecting breast;

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Grant us, O King of mercy, still

To feel Thy presence from above,

And in Thy word and in Thy will

To hear Thy voice and know Thy love;

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And when the toils of life are done,

And nature waits Thy just decree,

To find our rest beneath Thy throne,

And look in certain hope to Thee.

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To Thee, O Jesus, Light of Light,

Whom as their King the saints adore,

Thou strength and refuge in the fight,

Be laud and glory evermore.

Above:  The Massacre of the Innocents, by Tintoretto

Image in the Public Domain

Original Text by Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-circa 413)

English Translation by John Athelstan Laurie Riley (1858-1945)

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

A hymn for the Feast of the Holy Innocents

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All hail, ye little Martyr flowers,

Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!

When Herod sought the Christ to find

Ye fell as bloom before the wind.

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First victims of the Martyr bands,

With crowns and palms in tender hands,

Around the very altar, gay

And innocent, ye seem to play.

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What profited this great offence?

What use was Herod’s violence?

A Babe survives that dreadful day,

And Christ is safely borne away.

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All honour, laud, and glory be,

O Jesu, virgin-born, to thee;

All glory, as it is ever meet

To Father and to Paraclete.

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Rome, Georgia, February 14, 2016

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Text (1872) by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (1820-1891)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1940 Companion (1949), The Episcopal Church

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Come with us, O blessed Jesus,

With us evermore to be;

And in leaving now thine altar,

O let us not leave thee!

Let thy sweet angel chorus

Not cease their heavenly strain,

But in us, thy loving children,

Bring peace, good will to men.

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Thou art God from everlasting,

God of God and Light of Light;

Thou art God, thy glory veiling,

That men may bear the sight.

Beyond these walls O follow us,

Our daily life to share,

That in us thy great and glorious light

May shine forth everywhere.

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Thou art man, of Mary Virgin,

Born to-day in Bethlehem;

Thou art man, with griefs and sorrows,

And thorns for a diadem.

For ever thou art one with us,

Our life, our love divine:

Our flesh and blood art thou, Lord;

And thou hast given us thine.

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Born a babe, yet our Creator;

Born a babe, yet God on high:

Born a babe, O Son of David,

Thy kingdom now is nigh.

Before thy cross victorious

O make thy foes to fall,

Till the whole world sing Hosanna,

And own thee Lord of all.

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Common Ground, Atlanta, Georgia, December 24, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Prayer Source = A Book of Worship for Free Churches (1948), the General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States

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O Almighty God, who by the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ into the world

didst give the true light to dawn upon our darkness;  graciously assist us that we,

adoring the mystery of thy coming into our poor humanity,

may in thy Light see light, to the glory of thy holy Name.  Amen.

–Page 33

Above:  Episcopal Church of the Advent, Madison, Georgia, December 6, 2015

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Prayer Source = A Book of Worship for Free Churches (1948), the General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States

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Minister and Congregation

Almighty God, our heavenly father,

who didst cause light to shine out of darkness in the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to take away the sins of the world;

we humbly confess our transgressions and implore thy forgiveness.

We beseech thee that the spirit of Christ may be born anew within us,

and that we may glorify his nativity with hearts of compassion,

deeds of kindly service,

and the spirit of goodwill toward all mankind;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

–Page 29

Above:  Nativity, by Sandro Botticelli

Image in the Public Domain

Text by Charles E. W. Harvey (1846-1922), a layman of the Moravian Church in America and an insurance man of Brooklyn, New York

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923), Moravian Church in America

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Light of the world, come nigh and bless

Thy children here below,

Who in Thy house Thy name confess,

On us Thy grace bestow.

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Light of the world, we celebrate

To-night Thy lowly birth,

And teach our little ones of Thee

Who cam’st from heaven to earth.

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Light of the world, in manger low

Didst deign to lay Thy head,

That we in darkest night of sin

Might to Thy light be led.

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Light of the world, into our hearts

Let Thy full glory shine,

That we may follow now Thy star

Until we reach Thy shrine.

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Light of the world, we worship Thee,

Our gifts to Thee we bring,

Accept our sinful hearts, O Lord,

While praise to Thee we sing.

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Light of the world, when thou shalt come

Our Judge and Lord to be;

May we through Thy dear sacrifice

Forever dwell with Thee.