Advent // Week 3 // Dec. 17-23
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise the words of prophets,
but test everything;
hold fast to what is good.
Lyrics: direct quotation of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21 (NRSV)
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Ebony Nicole, Nichole Barrows, Jackson Maust, Mitchell Yoder, Greg Yoder
Advent // Week 2 // Dec. 10-16
A voice cries out: "In the wilderness
prepare the way of the LORD,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed
Lyrics: direct quotation of Isaiah 40:3-5a (NRSV)
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Jessica DiPuma, Ebony Nicole, Nichole Barrows, Mitchell Yoder, Kristina Yoder, Greg Yoder
Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing.
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
Bless’d be the tie that binds our hearts and souls and minds.
And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till love creates a place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.
Lyrics: Bianca da Sienna, d. ca. 1434; trans. Richard Frederick Littledale, d. 1890, with chorus by Seth Thomas Crissman, 2013
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2013
Vocals: Mitchell Yoder, Nichole Barrows, Ebony Nicole, Lauren Yoder, Kristina Yoder
Advent // Week 1 // Dec. 3-9
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever.
The leaf shrivels, so too the shade,
But the word of our God will stand
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy
May those who sow in fear be neither harmed nor destroyed
May those who sow in sorrow harvest with delight
For all who sow, sow for tomorrow, with hope that falls by night
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down
Lyrics: direct quotations from Isaiah 40:8 (NRSV), Psalm 126:5 (NRSV), and Isaiah 64:1a (NRSV), with additional lines by Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Jackson Maust and Rachel Mast
Ordinary Time // Week 26 // November 26 - December 2
CALL US HOME
You will search for your sheep
Mountain high and valley deep
And You will find us, You will find us in our doubt
From our fear You will carry us out
You will search for Your sheep
For the Shepherd does not sleep
You will find us, You will find us in the thorn
You have known us, You have loved us from before we were born
Call us home, call us home
You will search for Your sheep
For the Shepherd does not sleep
You will find us, You will find us where we are
Torn and tattered, broken, battered, scared and scattered far
Call us home, call us home,
You are the Shepherd of the hungry and alone
Call us home, call us home
You will not leave us, for we are Your own
Call us home
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Lauren Yoder, Ebony Nicole, Nichole Barrows, Kristina Yoder, Greg Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 25 // November 19-25
BEFORE YOU FORMED THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS
Before You formed the highest mountains
Before You poured out the waters of the sea
Before You spoke and You created
You were and forever will be
Before You formed the ground beneath us
Before You called us, called us each by name
Before You breathed Your breath into us
You were and You never change, You never change
You are Maker of the universe, and Savior of our souls
Liberator and our Creator, the One who makes us whole
There is not a place that we can be that Your love isn’t waiting patiently
Maker of the universe, Savior of our souls
Before You formed the ground beneath us
Before You called us, called us each by name
Before You breathed Your breath into us
You were and You never change, You never will change
Holy, Holy One
Holy God, Three in One
Who was, and is, and is to come
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 24 // November 12-18
MORE THAN CONQUERORS
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will hardship, or distress, or persecution,
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Lyrics: direct quotation from Romans 8:37-39
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Kristina Yoder, Mitchell Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 23 // November 5-11
GIVE US YOUR LABOR
I don’t know if we’re ready
I don’t know if we’re strong
But I know that Jesus can steady any
Rocky boat and make the waters calm
Jesus, make us ready
Teach us what You’d have us do
Jesus, give us courage
To work like You
Give us Your work
Teach us how to work Your land
Give us Your work
Give us Your labor in our hands
Lyrics: Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 22 // October 29 - November 4
IN THE LITTLE MOMENTS
In the little moments
In the in between
In the cracks in the sidewalks
In the miracle of green shoots
Peaking through to smile at you
Where life has never been easy
Breezes in the trees can remind you
God is, God has always been, and God will always be in the ordinary
In the little moments
In the laughter of a child
In hair plastered to her face
As she goes dashing wildly
Through springy fields, wings revealed,
Butterflies and bare feet,
Muddy footprints in the kitchen may remind me
God is, God has always been, and God will always be in the ordinary
In the stack of dishes, in the clothes piled in the hall
In the whisper of a loved one, in the bitter tears that fall
In the sunlight, in the shadow, in the days as they unwind
In the minutes that unfold themselves into a whole lifetime
God is, God has always been, and God will always be in the ordinary
Lyrics: Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Nichole Barrows, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 21 // October 22-28
FOR YOUR GOODNESS AND YOUR MERCY
For Your goodness and Your mercy, we will sing
For Your goodness and Your mercy, we will sing
Each breath, a hallelujah
Each song, our offering
For Your goodness and Your mercy, we will sing
For the turning of the seasons, we sing praise
For the turning of the seasons, we sing praise
Every frost, a benediction
Every dew, a warm embrace
For the turning of the seasons, we sing praise
Through the shadow of the valley, we’ll sing on
Through the shadow of the valley, we’ll sing on
And the wind that gently beckons
Is the whisper of Your dawn
Through the shadow of the valley, we’ll sing on
For Your goodness and Your mercy, we will sing
For Your goodness and Your mercy, we will sing
Each breath, a hallelujah
Each song, our offering
For Your goodness and Your mercy, we will sing
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman, Greg Yoder, and Lindsey FitzGerald, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2022
Vocals: Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 20 // October 15-21
DO NOT BE ANXIOUS
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.
And the God of peace will be with you.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Philippians 4:6-9
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Seth Crissman, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 19 // October 8-14
JESUS, KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv'ry's mountain.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me.
In the cross, in the cross may my glory be!
May my soul be revived by the healing stream
Fruitful trees whose leaves are for healing
Grow on the bank of the stream
that flows from Calvary.
Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.
Lyrics: Fanny Crosby, 1869 with chorus by Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: William Howard Doane (1800s), with chorus by Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Rachel Mast, Jackson Maust, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 18 // October 1-7
BECAUSE OF JESUS
When we listen for God at the start of the day
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
We’re following Jesus, who taught us to pray
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
When we take good care of our bodies and minds
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
We can make good use of God’s gifts and God’s time
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
When we make a mistake or get hurt by a friend
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
The forgiveness of Jesus knows no end
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
When we see friends and strangers who are in need
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
Jesus shows us the way, let us follow His lead
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
Lyrics: Mitchell Yoder, Seth Thomas Crissman, and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Mitchell Yoder and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Nichole Barrows, Ben Luna, Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder, chorus: Perry Blosser, Jackson Maust, Ebony Nicole, Carol Tobin, Greg Yoder, Melody Zimmerman
Ordinary Time // Week 17 // September 24-30
SO THE LAST WILL BE FIRST
So the last will be first,
and the first will be last.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Matthew 20:16
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Seth Crissman
Ordinary Time // Week 16 // September 17-23
SUN OF MY SOUL
Sun of my soul, O Savior dear,
it is not night if you are near;
O, may no earthborn cloud arise,
to hide you from my eyes.
Be near to bless me when I wake,
‘ere through the world your way I take;
abide with me, till in your love
I lose myself in heav'n above
Abide with me from morn till eve,
for without you I cannot live;
abide with me when night is nigh,
when night is nigh
Be near to bless me when I wake
‘ere through the world your way I take;
abide with me, till in your love
I lose myself in heav'n above
Lyrics: John Keble, 1820, alt.
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Nichole Barrows, and Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 15 // September 10-16
TEACH ME, O LORD
Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Psalm 119:33-37
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Greg Yoder, Lauren Yoder, Kristina Yoder, Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 14 // September 3-9
LOVE MUST BE SINCERE
Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal,
but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people
who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Romans 12:9-21
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Mitchell Yoder, Lauren Yoder
DO NOT BE OVERCOME
Do not be overcome by evil
But overcome evil with good.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Romans 12:21 and Matthew 5:44
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Mitchell Yoder, Greg Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 13 // August 27 - September 2
EACH MORNING BRINGS
Each morning brings us fresh outpoured
The loving kindness of the LORD
It ends not as the day goes past
But gives us strength while life shall last
It gives us strength for God’s own will
That we may love and follow still
‘Til evening’s sun is sinking low
And we have further yet to go
To go and show God’s love we’re called,
For we are the hands and feet that walk;
So walk, whether night or brightest day,
That we might always—come what may—
Be Jesus’ feet and Jesus’ hands,
Through waters high, over sun-parched lands,
Carrying the peace of God’s kingdom
And the love we see when the morning comes
Lyrics: verse 1 - Johannes Zwick, 1536; verses 2-4 - Greg Yoder, 2015
Music: Greg Yoder, 2015
Vocals: Jackson Maust, Mitchell Yoder, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 12 // August 20-26
NOW THE DAY IS OVER
Now the day is over,
night is drawing nigh;
shadows of the evening
steal across the sky.
Jesus, give the weary
calm and sweet repose;
with your tend'rest blessing
may our eyelids close.
Comfort ev'ry suff'rer
watching late in pain;
Give courage to your laborers
That we may rise again
When the morning wakens,
then may we arise
Sure and strong and ready
in your holy eyes.
Lyrics: S. Baring-Gould, 1865, alt.
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 11 // August 13-19
COME, YE SINNERS
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of mercy, love and pow’r
Come ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me and call me His own
In the arms of my dear Savior
My restless soul will find a home
Come, ye weary, heavy laden
Come, ye burdened, and alone
Look, a river, living water
Flowing out of rock and stone
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me and call me His own
In the arms of my dear Savior
My restless soul will find a home
Lyrics: verses - J. Hart, 1759, alt.; chorus - Anonymous/traditional
Music: The Walking Roots Band, 2023
Vocals: Ebony Nicole, chorus: Nichole Barrows, Perry Blosser, Seth Crissman, Jackson Maust, Greg Yoder, Kristina Yoder, Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder, Melody Zimmerman
Ordinary Time // Week 10 // August 6-12
YOU FIRST LOVED US
It’s just a start
A fluttering of the heart
The tiniest bud on a tree
that becomes a leaf
The first sign of spring
The moment when everything
that was holding its breath can breathe again
With a sigh of relief
In the winter’s doubt
In our empty and desolate place
our souls cry out
to see Your face
You are in the spring’s first rain
Laughing wind and growing grain
Mighty waves and solid stone
You are hope, You are home
You are in each rising day
Every morning Your grace remains
We sing Your love because
You first loved us
The mountainside
Painted on canvas high above
Where oranges and reds collide
With the blue of the morn
We lift our eyes
And follow the sun, who rises
To curtsy and twirl and glide
Like she has every day since the world was born
In the coming dawn
In our hopes and our dreams and all our days
our souls cry on
and sing Your praise
You are in the spring’s first rain
Laughing wind and growing grain
Mighty waves and solid stone
You are hope, You are home
You are in each rising day
Every morning Your grace remains
We sing Your love because
You first loved us
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Mitchell Yoder, Jackson Maust, Kristina Yoder
