From Waiting to Fulfillment

An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols

Frederick Seay

Updated May,2025

This Advent service was held early in December 2005.The theme of waiting held special resonance for us that year. On September 24, 2005, Lake Charles and all of southwest Louisiana was badly battered by Hurricane Rita. By November many of us in the area, including the congregation at First Presbyterian Church, knew we would have a long wait for our houses to be repaired, for our blue tarp roofs to be replaced. We knew then that things would never “go back to normal.” For this service, we wanted to tie in the expectation and waiting for the “new normal” to our Christian Advent hope.

Prelude: Overture to Cantata 142 (Bach/Thompson)

Welcome

Waiting

Choir: “In the Silence, Wondrous Love”

Call to Worship: Psalm 130:5-6; Isaiah 64:1a, 4

Prayer

Hymn: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” ^Neale

Scripture of Longing: Psalm 89:1-2, 46-51

Scripture Readings: Anticipation

Isaiah 9:2-7; 11:1-10; 35:1-10

Hymn: “The Desert Shall Rejoice” ^Grindal

Expectation

Scripture Readings: Expectation

Romans 13:11-14; Mark 13:24-37; Matthew 25:1-12

Anthem: “Keep Your Lamps”

Hymn: “Sleepers, Wake!” PH 17

Bayou Bell Choir: Passacaglia

Fulfillment

Advent Litany
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
pervading and permeating all creation, you order all things
with strength and gentleness: come now
and teach us the way to salvation.
Come, Lord Jesus.
O Adonai, Ruler of the house of Israel, you appeared
in the burning bush to Moses and gave him the law
on Sinai: Come with outstretched arm to save us.
Come, Lord Jesus.
O Root of Jesse, rising as a sign for all the peoples,
before you earthly rulers will keep silent, and nations
give you honor: Come quickly to deliver us.
Come, Lord Jesus.
O Key of David, Scepter over the house of Israel,
you open and no one can close, you close and
no one can open: Come to set free the prisoners
who live in darkness and the shadow of death.
Come, Lord Jesus.
O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light,
Sun of justice: Come, shine on those who live
in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Come, Lord Jesus.
O Ruler of the nations, Monarch for whom the people long,
you are the Cornerstone uniting all humanity:
Come, save us all, whom you formed out of clay.
Come, Lord Jesus.
O Immanuel, our Sovereign and Lawgiver,
desire of the nations and Savior of all:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
Come, Lord Jesus. God of grace, ever faithful to your
promises, the earth rejoices in hope of our Savior’s
coming and looks forward with longing to his return
at the end of time. Prepare our hearts to receive him
when he comes, for he is Lord forever and ever. Amen.
—from “Daily Prayer,” The Worship of God: Supplemental Liturgical Resource 5.Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1987, adapted and reprinted from Lutheran Book of Worship© 1978. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress; concluding prayer by Harold M. Daniels.