Close to Home: Music for Advent-Epiphany, Year C
The past year has hit close to home for many of us, but music has a particular way of soothing our souls—especially during the holidays. Here we’ve collected hymns and songs that work well with our Close to Home Advent - Epiphany theme and subthemes based on the Year C texts of the Revised Common Lectionary. We hope these lists help you to plan meaningful worship services for this season.
As bonus resources, we have five original hymns written and set to traditional Christmas carols by Rev. Anna Strickland, as well as an original theme song written and performed by Becky and Nathan Bliss of Barnaby Bright.
Click here to download the original hymns, and check back soon for the music video for our Close to Home theme song.
(Note: While we do not own the licensing rights to these songs—other than the hymns and song written specially for this series—we have linked to more information about the hymnals containing these songs or to other licensing options. Since U.S. law does not allow churches to “broadcast” recorded music without a particular license to do so—including music played in YouTube and Facebook live services—we encourage you to share recorded songs with your congregation by sharing a link to the video or our Spotify playlist in bulletins, emails, or social media to avoid copyright strikes in livestream worship.)
Close to home
Music for all season
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“Home is Home, However Lowly” [↗]
Words: Arthur Arnott Tune: BEACH SPRING (8.7.8.7 D)“Make of My Heart a Stable” [↗]
Free use. Words and music: Amanda Udis-Kessler (2021)“Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Georg Weissel (1642), trans. Catherine Winkworth (1855) Tune: TRURO (8.8.8.8)“What Is This Place” [↗]
Words: Huub Oosterhuis (1968), trans. David Smith (1970) Tune: KOMT NU MET ZANG (9.8.9.8.9.6.6)“Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Joachim Neander (1680), trans. Catherine Winkworth (1863) Tune: LOBE DEN HERREN (14.14.4.7.8)
First Sunday of Advent
Homesick (Hope)
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“See Fig Tree Leaves Now Sprouting” [↗]
Free use. Words: Anna Strickland (2021) Tune: ES IST EIN ROS (7.6.7.6.6.7.6)“Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Thomas T. Lynch (1856) Tune: BLESSED HOME (6.6.6.6 D)“My Lord! What a Morning” [↗]
Public Domain. African-American Spiritual.“The Days Are Surely Coming” [↗]
Words: David Gambrell (2009) Tune: LLANGLOFFAN (7.6.7.6 D)“Wait for the Lord” [↗]
Words: Taizé Community (1984) Tune: WAIT FOR THE LORD (8.8)“Your Peace Will Make Us One” [↗]
Words: Audrey Assad Tune: BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC (15.15.15.6 with refrain)
Second Sunday of Advent
Laying the Foundation (Peace)
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“Zechariah’s Lullaby” [↗]
Free use. Words: Anna Strickland (2021) Tune: CRADLE SONG (11.11.11.11)“For Builders Bold, Whose Vision Pure” [↗]
Words: Herman G. Stuempfle (1993) Tune: FOREST GREEN (8.6.8.6 D)“The Church’s One Foundation” [↗]
Public domain. Words: S. J. Stone (1866) Tune: AURELIA (7.6.7.6 D)“Building Day By Day” [↗]
Public domain. Words: Fanny J. Crosby. Music: Herbert D. Lothrop“Let Us Arise and Build” [↗]
Public domain. Words: Oriana M. Williams. Music: Samuel W. Beazley“In the Bulb There Is a Flower” [↗]
Words: Natalie Sleeth (1986) Tune: PROMISE (8.7.8.7 D)
Third Sunday of Advent
A Home for All (Joy)
Songs for Listening, Preludes, or Special Music
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“A Home for All” [↗]
Free use. Words: Anna Strickland (2021) Tune: MENDELSSOHN (7.7.7.7 D with refrain)“All Are Welcome” [↗]
Words: Marty Haugen (1994) Tune: TWO OAKS (9.6.8.6.8.7.10 with refrain)“For Everyone Born” [↗]
Words: Shirley Erena Murray (1996) Tune: FOR EVERYONE BORN (11.10.11.10 with refrain)“There is Room in God’s Great Welcome” [↗]
Free use. Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2016) Tune: HOLY MANNA (8.7.8.7 D)“O for a World” [↗]
Words: Miriam Therese Winter (1987) Tune: AZMON (8.6.8.6)“Come, Great God of All the Ages” [↗]
Words: Mary Jackson Cathey (1987) Tune: ABBOT’S LEIGH (8.7.8.7 D)“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Robert Robinson (1758) Tune: NETTLETON (8.7.8.7 D)
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Seeking Sanctuary (Love)
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“God, We Thank You For the Churches” [↗]
Free use. Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2018) Tune: NETTLETON (8.7.8.7 D)“Jesus, Lover of My Soul” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Charles Wesley (1740) Tune: REFUGE (7.7.7.7 D)“Magnificat” [↗]
Words: Taizé Community (1978) Tune: MAGNIFICAT“Song of Mary” [↗]
Words: Miriam Therese Winter (1987) Tune: MORNING SONG (8.6.8.6)“Canticle of the Turning” [↗]
Words: Rory Cooney (1990) Tune: STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN (8.6.8.6 D)“Sanctuary” [↗]
Words and music: Randy Scruggs and John Thompson (1982)“Jesus Entered Egypt” [↗]
Words: Adam M. L. Tice (2007) Tune: KING’S WESTON (6.5.6.5 D)
*Note: Matthew 2:13-23 fits very well within the Close to Home theme and would be an excellent preaching text for the Sunday after Epiphany. If you plan to preach on the Holy Family’s exile to Egypt, you might use this hymn on that Sunday instead.
Christmas Eve
Invited Home
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: John Francis Wade Tune: ADESTE FIDELES (Irr.)“Once in Royal David’s City” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (1848) Tune: IRBY (8.7.8.7.7.7)“Angels From the Realms of Glory” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: James Montgomery (1816) Tune: REGENT SQUARE (8.7.8.7.8.7)“In Bethlehem a Babe Was Born” [↗]
Words: Barbara Mays (1986) Tune: DISCOVERY (Irr. with refrain)“O Little Town of Bethlehem” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: Phillips Brooks (1868) Tune: FOREST GREEN (8.6.8.6 D)“The Happy Christmas Comes Once More” [↗]
Public Domain. Words: N.F.S. Grundtvig Tune: EMMANUEL (8.8.8.8)“Where Shepherds Lately Knelt” [↗]
Words: Jaroslav J. Vajda (1986) Tune: MANGER SONG (12.12.10.10)“Angels We Have Heard on High” [↗]
Public Domain. Traditional French carol.“When Mary and Joseph Sought Safety and Shelter” [↗]
Free use. Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2018) Tune: ASH GROVE (6.6.11.6.6.11 D)
Songs for Listening, Preludes, or Special Music
“Room For Us All” by The Many [↗]
“Welcome to the Manger” by Amanda Udis-Kessler [↗]
* The songwriter has given permission for free use of this song. Recording available here.“Why Does God Have to Look So Human?” from The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby [↗]
“What a Glorious Night” by Sidewalk Prophets [↗]
“Heaven Everywhere” by Francesca Battistelli [↗]
First Sunday After Christmas
Chosen Home
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“Chosen Home” [↗]
Free use. Words: Anna Strickland (2021) Tune: ADESTE FIDELES (Irr.)“Jesus’ Parents Left the Temple” [↗]
Free use. Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2015) Tune: W ŻŁOBIE LEŻY (8.7.8.7.8.8.7.7)“Womb of Life and Source of Being” [↗]
Words: Ruth Duck (1986) Tune: RAQUEL (8.7.8.7 D)“Like a Mother Who Has Borne Us” [↗]
Words: Daniel Bechtel (1986) Tune: AUSTIN (8.7.8.7)“Shake the Dust Off Your Sandals” [↗]
Free use. Words and music: Amanda Udis-Kessler (2019)“Let Us Go to God’s Home” [↗]
Free use. Words: Stephen M. Fearing (2019) Tune: NOËL NOUVELET (11.11.10.11)“Sacred the Body” [↗]
Words: Ruth Duck (1997) Tune: TENDERNESS (5.5.10 D)
Epiphany
Home By Another Way
Hymns and Congregational Songs
“Home By Another Way” [↗]
Free use. Words: Anna Strickland (2021) Tune: KINGS OF ORIENT (8.8.4.4.6 with refrain)“When Mary Hugged Her Newborn Son” [↗]
Free use. Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2011) Tune: TALLIS' CANON (8.8.8.8)“Deep in the Shadows of the Past” [↗]
Words: Brian Wren (1973) Tune: SHEPHERDS’ PIPES (8.6.8.6 D)“In the Midst of New Dimensions” [↗]
Words: Julian B. Rush (1994) Tune: NEW DIMENSIONS (8.7.8.7 with refrain)“Wherever You Go” [↗]
Words and music: Barbara Hamm (2006)“If You Say Go” [↗]
Words and music: Diane Thiel (2002)
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Rev. Anna Strickland
Operations Support & Content Creation
Rev. Anna Strickland (she/her/hers) looks for the Divine in the everyday like treasure in clay jars and first encountered God in the integration of her spiritual self and artistic self. She is a native Austinite and graduated from the University of Texas where she now works in college ministry, especially serving LGBTQ students.