In 2023, Redeemer Lutheran Church wished to focus on “Holy Darkness” as we used Tsh Oxenreider’s Shadow and Light devotional for the Advent season. The desire was that this theme would present itself in worship as well and I was having a very hard time finding candle lighting songs that didn’t “banish darkness” or make heavy metaphors that boiled down to “light = good, dark = bad”. Instead, I wrote the text and music for a candle-lighting song to be used that season on Sundays and ended up writing more service music around it. This includes a Kyrie that takes heavy influence from the Wachet Auf hymn tune.

Although the rest of the liturgy could really be used any time of year, the Wake, Awake for Night Is Flying and another Christmas tune reference (this one secular!) in the Lamb of God really make this especially appropriate for Advent. I’d love to know if you recognize the other tune!