Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
Now breathes a softer air, now shines a milder sky;
The early trees put forth their new and tender leaf;
Hushed is the moaning wind that told of winter’s grief.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
Now mount the laden clouds, now flames the darkening sky;
The early scattered drops descend with heavy fall,
And to the waiting earth the hidden thunders call.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
O note the varying signs of earth, and air, and sky;
The God of glory comes in gentleness and might,
To comfort and alarm, to succor and to smite.
He comes, the wide world’s King, He comes, the true heart’s Friend,
New gladness to begin, and ancient wrong to end;
He comes, to fill with light the weary waiting eye;
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh.
Words: Thomas T. Lynch
This is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. The tradition is marked with an Advent Wreath and 5 candles. Each of the 4 Sundays a candle is lit with the 5th candle, the center candle being lit on Christmas Eve.
The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy). This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of an Anointed One, a Messiah, that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history.
Very beautiful, Ellen. I love the photo and the hymn.
A blessed first advent to you !
My head has been lifted up, thanks be to God! Blessed first Advent to you, Ellen.
This is a great reminder of the focus we should keep in the weeks to come. Hope, and antipation of the coming of our Savior!
Thanks for bringing the tradition alive….We are so blessed to know of the future HOPE….
A beautiful photo with that beautiful hymn, Ellen! May you be blessed this advent season.
Beautiful post and beautiful reminder of what the holiday season is about.
Beautiful, Ellen. I learned from a fellow blogger in Australia that they have a “Stir-up” Sunday to mark the first Sunday of the Advent – most interesting.
Time Travel! That’s what Google did for me! =)