4th Sunday of Advent
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Written by James Perkins
What I love about this response is that it implies that God is already facing us and is actively trying to save us. Just the simple act of seeing His face is enough for salvation, but our own faults have turned our backs on Him. By proclaiming “Lord, make us turn to you” , we are giving up our control; asking for God to intervene and make himself known.
There is this tension that has been building for the last four weeks, a longing for the people to see and experience their God. It’s expressed in these verses; each starting with a proclamation of who God is and then a plea for Him to help man. There is a desire to return to the Lord, if only we could see his face.
It is especially profound placing this psalm the week before Christmas, when we do get to actually see God’s face in the world for the first time in the child Jesus.
So the question we’re faced with is this: will we turn to see God’s face next week, or will this Christmas pass by like the others?
James Perkins is a NOVUM RECORDS artist and one half of the worship duo Onward & Upward. In addition to worship leading and producing for Loop Community, James is currently the Director of Liturgy and Music for the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia. He resides in Athens, GA with his wife Maggie and two daughters, Josephine and Maeve. Follow James on Instagram, and check out his website.
Pray with this week’s psalm.