I had hopes so high
If Messiah dies,
Well then so will i
But I'm bold and weak
Charge and then retreat
I proclaimed Him--
How could I now deny?

Chorus:
Oh, Jesus, forgive me!
Oh, can You forgive me?
Oh, Jesus, forgive me!
Oh, can You forgive me?
You can forgive me
But will You?

Every heart that I've betrayed is mine to answer for
I've been cowardly to not say Who You are
I've been calloused and uncaring when there's nothing in it for me
Please forgive me, Lord
Please forgive me, Lord

……

Yes, I love you, child, completely--
Don't let doubt deceive your heart
I forever spelled it out upon the cross
There I poured My wrath upon the sin that kept us far apart
Yet I also bore that wrath--I paid the cost

For I cannot make you love Me, no I cannot make you trust
But I knock and wait, until you open wide
To receive forgiveness, mercy, life, and rise up from the dust
Be at peace, My child
Be at peace, My child

(Each verse of this song summarizes the Advent Scripture passage listed before each verse. See below for a playable copy of the music.)

Isaiah 64:1-9

Open up the sky, Lord;
Show the world Your power.
May Your presence leave
The nations trembling
You are like no other,
Awe-inspiring Father,
We beg for Your mercy;
Turn away from all our sin

Refrain:
Lord, You are waiting for our repentance.
You hold back the justice of Your wrath.
Your love is patient, longing that we turn and confess
And find forgiveness in Your mercy's path.

Chorus:
Oh, God, I know, I know, I know, I know my sin
So won’t You create a clean heart in me again?

Have mercy on me, God,
Your love is never-failing
Erase the wrongs I’ve done
Through mercy great and faithful

Wash me through and through
From my own sin please purify
I’ve sinned against just You,
I've done what's evil in Your sight

I got up from the banquet meal,
Ran away from my enemies.
Rejected the anointing that heals
Pushed away the joy You had for me

Chorus:
But through the darkness I see Your light
Your loving kindness and mercy bright
Will follow me for all my life
You’ll keep on searching
To take me home with You one more time
To take me home with You one more time

Chorus:
Make straight the way
Make straight the way
Make straight the way for the Lord

John Baptizer preaching at the Jordan River
“Repent and rise and all your sins will be forgiven
Turn towards God, and from your evil ways."

Religious bigwigs asking “Who you think you are
Messiah, Elijah, a prophet even more bizarre
What do you do to fill up your desert days?

I carefully open my backpack of sin
And tilt back my head to pour sea water in
I know this will kill me, but what can I do?
I go blind in the desert just looking for You

Chorus:
If the rain comes (I know it will fall)
It will fill me (for Your grace, after all)
Is the power to wash me awake, making old things new;
With the power to wash me awake, You make all things new

Holy One who gives all of Israel a home,
Keep Your people, but please, won’t you leave me alone?
For You know when I sit down, You know when I stand;
You know every stumble I make
Like the soldiers surrounding me,
I feel Your hand
That won’t let me just run away--
You won’t let me just run away.

Chorus:
You are the air I breathe, trapping me,
tight to my skin;
and so I say, “go away,” and draw You within
And though I’ve denied You,
I fear that I’ll finally
Come back confessing my sin,
Coming back broken again.

The luster, lewdly looking, leering,
Fearing one who knows is nearing,
Hides the way his heart is hearing
Whispers that he sins.

The gossip gathers green and gray,
In search of silver things to say;
Sin’s satisfaction cannot stay--
She tells her tale again.

Chorus:
Jesus Christ, Almighty Savior, God:
We bring our broken souls to You:
Yet again, we lift up our confession
Holy Spirit, make our hearts Your home;
Purify us with the Truth;
Call us out of sin into your arms . . . again.

All that really matters is what You think
My life has been given--it's not my own
If I feel the vacuum, the emptiness is mine, I guess
It's not because You don't exist, but because of this:
I believe that I can live without You
Without You

CHORUS
You are in the habit of giving me
What I ask for when I don't want to admit it
Independence is a fiction
That I run to when I think that it's convenient
Sometimes when I hide, You come and seek me
But sometimes when I hide, You let me hide.