Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 246)
1 Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness
all you children of the day!”
2 Wakened by the solemn warning,
from earth’s bondage let us rise;
Christ, our sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.
3 See the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next he comes in glory
and the world is wrapped in fear,
he will shield us with his mercy
and with words of love draw near.
5 Honor, glory, might, and blessing
to the Father and the Son
with the everliving Spirit
while unending ages run!
Text: Latin hymn, 1632; Music: William H. Monk; Public Domain
Devotion
In the readings leading up to the Second Sunday of Advent, we begin our church calendar year with a reminder of who we are and where we come from. A root from the stump of Jesse, a psalmist who offers a prayer for its leader, a voice crying out from the wilderness, Paul’s message of salvation for Jews and Gentiles; all is part of the foundation on which we build our Advent journey while we follow and listen for a thrilling new voice.
Many of you read these devotions first thing in the morning to help center your day. Maybe the voices around you are still quiet in the still of the morning, but as the day continues, we will all be filled with commentaries, opinions, and noise. When that happens, let us remember the one true voice that we follow that will cast away the works of darkness and give us grace and strength through our Advent journey.
Prayer
God of quiet—give us the courage to step into this day with peace and patience that we may be focused on your one true voice amidst all of the distractions of life. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.