Paul Vasile

church musician / consultant / composer

Listening for the Word: An Advent Hymn Study with Paul Vasile

As we prepare for and celebrate the arrival of the Word who ‘became flesh and lived among us,’ I can’t imagine a better experience of embodied faith than congregational singing. This series is an invitation to experience singing as an Advent spiritual practice – one way we listen for God’s breaking into our personal and collective lives, surprising us with harmony and dissonance, praise and lament, cries for comfort and for justice.

In this socially-distanced time, singing together is possible but takes a different form through Zoom and other online formats. While we can’t hear each other as we would in person (except for those rare moments when the interwebs sync up), we can still sing together while muted, following the leadership of a voice or instrument. And, more importantly, we can still explore the ways music and text fuse to transmit meaning and emotion.

Each week we’ll sing beloved Advent hymns and carols alongside tunes and texts that may be new to us. Organ and choir settings will sit alongside Jazz, Gospel, and contemporary arrangements that open up space for conversation and learning. We’ll explore the history and musical style of pieces we sing, listening deeply for the way themes and scripture passages of the season speak through them. We’ll use practices like lectio divina (maybe better called musica divina) to deepen our relationship with words and melodies, letting them sink into our voices, bodies, and hearts.

You are invited to participate in several ways, using the music as a springboard for personal reflection and devotion, as well as community conversation.

Each Monday I’ll add two new Advent hymns/songs, as well as study material for the upcoming week. You’re welcome to listen and digest at your own pace, using the questions and prompts in the videos to guide your reflection. You may find a journal helpful.
On the Saturday before each Sunday of Advent (November 28, December 5, December 12, December 19) you’re invited to a Zoom call I’ll moderate at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT. We’ll gather in song virtually and share an hour of reflection and exploration rooted in music and scripture.

Click the links below to find videos, music, and study material for each week.

Listening for the Word: An Advent Hymn Study with Paul Vasile

Advent IV: God Has Done Great Things for Me (posted 12/15)

Advent III: Our Tears Sprang Up into a Song (posted 12/7)

Advent II: Dear Desire of Every Nation (posted 11/30)

Advent I: Teach Our Hearts to Welcome You (posted 11/23)