Gather us in

1.
Here in this place, new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away.
See, in this space, our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.
Gather us in - the lost and forsaken,
gather us in - the blind and the lame.
Call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise at the sound of our name. 

2.
We are the young - our lives are a mystery,
we are the old - who yearn for your face.
We have been sung throughout all of history,
called to be light to the whole human race.
Gather us in - the rich and the haughty,
gather us in - the proud and the strong.
Give us a heart so meek and so lowly,
give us the courage to enter the song. 

3.
Here we will take the wine and the water,
here we will take the bread of new birth.
Here you shall call your sons and your daughters,
call us anew to be salt for the earth.
Give us to drink the wine of compassion,
give us to eat the bread that is you.
Nourish us well, and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true. 

4.
Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away,
but here in this place, the new light is shining;
now is the Kingdom, now is the day.
Gather us in - and hold us forever,
gather us in - and make us your own.
Gather us in - all peoples together,
fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN! 

Ugh. Ritus Narcissus and the cult of conceit at its very worst?

"Now is the darkness vanished away? Now? Why? Was it not said of Our Lord's birth that "the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined."? What's so special about now?

"We have been sung throughout all of history"? Oh really? You mean "we are the ones we have been waiting for"?

"Give us the courage to enter the song" Whatever...

"Not in the dark of buildings confining,not in some heaven, light years away..."
Not in some heaven?! I'm sorry, but I'd like to go to that heaven one day. I don't hope to stick around here and now forever.
Some heaven! What conceit!

US, US, US. NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!!!

Ughhhh.

That said, the tune is rather catchy. Which can cause problems. Kat describes it as hell on earth. She also features a solution.

The Latin version (yes - someone has bothered to translate it into Latin) sounds better. The narcissism isn't so pronounced because my Latin is rudimentary.