City of God
Awake from your slumber, arise from your sleep
The text operates theologically on the intersection of prophetic call, eschatological hope, and missional ecclesiology. Drawing on the Isaianic vision of light dawning on those in darkness (Isaiah 9:2, 60:1-3), Schutte frames the Christian community as participants in God's redemptive project for the world—called not merely to receive grace but to embody and extend it. The refrain 'Let us build the city of God' echoes Augustine's City of God and the biblical vision of the New Jerusalem, but gives it an activist, present-tense urgency consistent with Catholic social teaching and liberation theology's influence on 1970s–80s liturgical composition. In Lutheran use, this emphasis on participatory mission complements the theology of vocation (Beruf) central to Lutheran anthropology: the baptized are called and sent as light-bearers in the world.
History & Background
"City of God" was written by Dan Schutte, SJ, in 1981 as part of the St. Louis Jesuits' prolific output of post-Vatican II liturgical song. The text draws heavily on the prophetic literature of Isaiah—particularly Isaiah 9, 40, and 60—weaving together images of light overcoming darkness, the awakening of God's people, and the eschatological city of God's presence. The refrain, 'Let us build the city of God,' became one of the most recognized expressions of the post-conciliar renewal emphasis on the church as a community with a mission in the world. The song was published by OCP (Oregon Catholic Press) and quickly became a staple of Catholic parish worship across North America and beyond.
Hymnal Appearances
- Gather 3rd Edition — 657
- Gather 4th Edition — 676
- Worship IV — 753
Bulletin Note
Text and music by Dan Schutte, © 1981, OCP. All rights reserved. Based on Isaiah 9, 40, and 60.
Preaching Connection
This text's prophetic imagery of light overcoming darkness pairs powerfully with sermons on baptismal identity, the theology of vocation, or Isaiah's vision of the coming kingdom; it poses the question: What does it mean to be 'sons of the morning' and 'daughters of day' in a world still shadowed by darkness?
Themes
Light and darkness Awakening Mission and vocation Eschatological hope Community and church City of God Prophetic call New creation Baptismal identity Ordinary Time