Reflection Guide

Whether it’s a breakthrough or healing, a job or pregnancy, a reconciliation or the end of war, it seems as if our lives and our world are in constant waiting. As the people of God, we are not unfamiliar with waiting - that is a major theme of the season of Advent. During Advent we relive the story of God’s people waiting for the Messiah to come and acknowledge our present waiting for the Messiah to come again. On Christmas Day we celebrate the arrival (or advent) of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

Come (Again) is a song to sing in the waiting and rejoicing. It was written to live in the tension of celebrating what is, while longing for what is yet to come.

This song is a journey. The verses invite us to wonder at Christ’s birth, the pre-chorus calls us to respond in worship, and the chorus echoes the simple Biblical refrain: Hallelujah. As an exercise, consider swapping out the Hebrew word Hallelujah for its English translation Praise the LORD. As you do, the song may begin to sound and feel like a psalm: “Praise the LORD / He has come / Praise the LORD / our Savior is born / Christ has come / and He will come again!”

The book of Psalms is filled with refrains that teach us to insist our souls to worship, even when we feel reluctant, to praise the LORD in spite of circumstances or feelings. Come (Again) carries this same invitation. We command our souls to praise by remembering that what God has done, God will do again. Praise is a way that we live in the waiting between Jesus’ first and second advent. 

In the bridge when you sing “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth” it is not just a proclamation; it’s also a plea. You sing along with the heavenly hosts declaring all that is true, while longing and waiting for that truth to ring out across the whole earth. But we do not wait without hope, for we know that the One who promised to is faithful. 

In any good story, especially the true ones, people journey from conflict to cliffhanger to climax to final resolution, ultimately because of hope. When we worship we cultivate within ourselves the capacity for joy in seasons of longing and fuel our hope. This is a hope that will not disappoint and a joy that will be satisfied by the fulfillment of Christ’s final promise: “Behold, I am coming quickly!” 

A note on the artwork: Much like the song, the artwork is designed to tell this story as well. It begins centered on the word “again” in parenthesis. Looking deeper, the colors and textures gradually transform from the black to gold and from darkness to light. There are also symbols representing Christ's two advents—a manger for his first and a crown for His second. Finally, there is a line journeying between the two symbols, representing the winding wait in which we exist between the two advents. (You may consider taking a moment to pause and reflect on what this art may mean for where you are in this story.)

Questions to Consider and Journal: 

• What does the difference between Advent and Christmas mean for your life story? 

• What is your default posture or reaction to corporate worship? 

• What does it look like for you to sing to God as an act of the will in this season? 

• What does or could the practice of singing praise to God do in you?

Discussion for Families: 

• What does Christmas mean to you?

• What does Advent mean to you?

• What does the practice of singing praise to God do in us?

• What is your favorite worship song?

Scriptures to Meditate on or Memorize: Luke 2v1-14, Revelation 22v12-21, Psalm 113, Psalm 150 

Practice: One way to embody this song is to try writing your own psalm of praise to God (similar to Psalm 113 or Psalm 150). Then, set a timer for 3 minutes each morning and evening for a week. During these 3 minutes, be still and wait with your hands open. If it helps, you could even quietly pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Then, after the timer ends, pray the psalm you wrote. At the end of the week, take some time to reflect on what God did in you through this practice, and consider continuing it in some way.

Practice Ideas for Families: There are a few ways to embody this song as a family. One idea is to write your own psalms of praise to God together and pray them out loud before dinner. Another idea is to draw or paint a picture of Jesus coming as a baby and then one of Jesus coming again as a king.