O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (stanza 1)
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Having a church home as a child is very special, and there are certain hymns that immediately transport me to the church of my childhood. When I sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel the music is such a familiar reminder of many happy holidays spent celebrating the season of Advent in the sanctuary of Covenant Presbyterian Church in my hometown of Augusta. I am very blessed to have parents who took me and my brother, Stephen, to church every Sunday and encouraged our participation in church events. Brad and I feel fortunate to have also found a church home among the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Athens. I give thanks to God for the special friendships we have through this congregation and the opportunities we have been given to serve and grow spiritually.
Singing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel also comforts me because of the reminders the hymn provides that God is with us and that Christ was born and will come again. These comforts are important because the holidays are filled with many fun events and happy memories, but the holidays can also be difficult. There are memories of loved ones who have passed away and feelings of loneliness because of friends and family who live far away and cannot travel home. My hope is that anyone who is sad, lonely or lost this holiday season will find comfort in God’s love and the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Holy God, help us to be grateful for the many blessings you have given us and help us to be more generous and loving towards those in need. We pray through Jesus Christ in the Spirit. Amen.
Megan Sperr
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Advent Devotion 2 - Monday, November 29
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (stanza 3)
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of Light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away
I have always loved this hymn because it inspires a sense of the mystery which lies at the heart of the incarnation, and which is part of all true worship. Because human intelligence cannot fully understand how the eternal Word of God became flesh in Jesus’ birth, I keep trying to find ways to express the awe that is awakened each year during the season of Advent. The hymn tune (Picardy) enhances the mysterious language of the text, especially stanza three. The language of the verse seems to an elaboration of language from the Nicene Creed which describes Jesus as “Light from Light.”
Sara and I attended a Lifelong Learning Conference at Montreat during October this year. Our keynote speaker unpacked the meaning of mystery by reminding us of the physics that I learned fifty years ago in college: that light is both wave and particle (depending on how it is measured). Making reference to more recent quantum physics he suggested that once sub-atomic particles like quarks become entangled, they continue to influence each other even at a distance. Perhaps relationships are the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
The Gospel of John knows that already: “in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness” has never snuffed it out (John 1:4, 5 my translation). We embrace the mystery of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ and that brings light to our darkness and confusion.
O Light of our dark world, illumine our personal dark places this Advent, so that our living may reflect your light and truth to all who cross our path, through Jesus, our light and our salvation Amen.
John Kipp
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of Light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away
I have always loved this hymn because it inspires a sense of the mystery which lies at the heart of the incarnation, and which is part of all true worship. Because human intelligence cannot fully understand how the eternal Word of God became flesh in Jesus’ birth, I keep trying to find ways to express the awe that is awakened each year during the season of Advent. The hymn tune (Picardy) enhances the mysterious language of the text, especially stanza three. The language of the verse seems to an elaboration of language from the Nicene Creed which describes Jesus as “Light from Light.”
Sara and I attended a Lifelong Learning Conference at Montreat during October this year. Our keynote speaker unpacked the meaning of mystery by reminding us of the physics that I learned fifty years ago in college: that light is both wave and particle (depending on how it is measured). Making reference to more recent quantum physics he suggested that once sub-atomic particles like quarks become entangled, they continue to influence each other even at a distance. Perhaps relationships are the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
The Gospel of John knows that already: “in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness” has never snuffed it out (John 1:4, 5 my translation). We embrace the mystery of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ and that brings light to our darkness and confusion.
O Light of our dark world, illumine our personal dark places this Advent, so that our living may reflect your light and truth to all who cross our path, through Jesus, our light and our salvation Amen.
John Kipp
Sunday, November 28, 2010
IHN Sunday 11/28/2010
We cleared out two classrooms in the Children's Ministry Suite and moved in IHN beds in preparation for hosting a family later this week. We expect only one family, and don't expect them to arrive until Wednesday or Thursday. With just two rooms to do, and with more volunteers than set-up normally has, we finished in record time.
IHN plans to take in a family early this week, so we should know before Wednesday when we will need to be ready to begin hosting. Volunteers who signed up for jobs from Sunday through Tuesday don't have to work this time.
We're ready to go, but nothing much is happening for the moment.
IHN plans to take in a family early this week, so we should know before Wednesday when we will need to be ready to begin hosting. Volunteers who signed up for jobs from Sunday through Tuesday don't have to work this time.
We're ready to go, but nothing much is happening for the moment.
Advent Devotion 1 - Sunday, November 28
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (stantas 1-2)
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Charles Wesley, 1744
We find a basic theological belief in the phrase “From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.” God gives us the freedom to live as wholly human and fully alive. We have permission and grace to live without fear.
God assures us that the messes we’re in now are not the final answer. Perhaps in contrast to some of our Christian brothers and sisters with different theological beliefs about salvation, we are eager to embrace grace because God has already taken care of it. The advent of the Christ reminds me of that every year.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells us over and over, “Fear not.” But everyone I know is afraid; worries about our children, our marriages, the economy and our finances grip us. Through this text, Charles Wesley helps us prepare for Christmas. In this text, Christ is not born yet but God has prepared the way to release us from our fears and sins. God wants us to find rest.
Gracious God, silence our fears. Open us to your grace and the goodness of your gift in life. Amen.
Bob Googe
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Charles Wesley, 1744
We find a basic theological belief in the phrase “From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.” God gives us the freedom to live as wholly human and fully alive. We have permission and grace to live without fear.
God assures us that the messes we’re in now are not the final answer. Perhaps in contrast to some of our Christian brothers and sisters with different theological beliefs about salvation, we are eager to embrace grace because God has already taken care of it. The advent of the Christ reminds me of that every year.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells us over and over, “Fear not.” But everyone I know is afraid; worries about our children, our marriages, the economy and our finances grip us. Through this text, Charles Wesley helps us prepare for Christmas. In this text, Christ is not born yet but God has prepared the way to release us from our fears and sins. God wants us to find rest.
Gracious God, silence our fears. Open us to your grace and the goodness of your gift in life. Amen.
Bob Googe
2010 Advent Devotions
This year’s Advent Devotional is inspired by many of the hymns, carols and songs of Advent and Christmas. Instead of taking a rigid and specific approach to the terms “hymns, carols and songs,” we are using them in a more general sense. In a more specific sense, one might consider a hymn as a non-scriptural song of praise addressed to God. Carols were originally dancing songs with a refrain, and the term came from the French word carole, a round dance. Carols were not originally limited to Christmas nor were they allowed inside churches. We’re using the term song in a very broad sense..
The Worship Sourcebook (pp. 421-22) tells us more of the distinction between Advent and our general secular sense of the four weeks before Christmas:
The great proclamation “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) assures us that God has entered into human history through the incarnation of the Son. The season of Advent, a season of waiting, is designed to cultivate our awareness of God’s action – past, present, and future. In Advent we hear the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming as addressed to us – people who wait for the second coming. In Advent we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament promises, when the wolf will lie down with the lamb, death will be swallowed up, and every tear will be wiped away. In this way Advent highlights for us the larger story of God’s redemptive plan.
A deliberate tension must be built into our practice of the Advent season. Christ has come, and yet not all things have reached completion. While we remember Israel’s waiting and hoping and we give thanks for Christ’s birth, we also anticipate his second coming at the end of time. For this reason Advent began as a penitential season, a time for discipline and intentional repentance in the confident expectation and hope of Christ’ coming again.
The Advent season includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Worship on these four Sundays should be designed to help people see the tension between celebrating and hoping.
We hope you will find these devotions based on hymns, carols and songs of Advent and Christmas helpful as you explore the creative tension between Christ’s coming 2000 years ago and our anticipation of his second coming.
Please follow this blog for daily updates throughout Advent. Click "2010 Advent Devotions" in the right margin to peruse them all on one page.
The Worship Sourcebook (pp. 421-22) tells us more of the distinction between Advent and our general secular sense of the four weeks before Christmas:
The great proclamation “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) assures us that God has entered into human history through the incarnation of the Son. The season of Advent, a season of waiting, is designed to cultivate our awareness of God’s action – past, present, and future. In Advent we hear the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming as addressed to us – people who wait for the second coming. In Advent we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament promises, when the wolf will lie down with the lamb, death will be swallowed up, and every tear will be wiped away. In this way Advent highlights for us the larger story of God’s redemptive plan.
A deliberate tension must be built into our practice of the Advent season. Christ has come, and yet not all things have reached completion. While we remember Israel’s waiting and hoping and we give thanks for Christ’s birth, we also anticipate his second coming at the end of time. For this reason Advent began as a penitential season, a time for discipline and intentional repentance in the confident expectation and hope of Christ’ coming again.
The Advent season includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Worship on these four Sundays should be designed to help people see the tension between celebrating and hoping.
We hope you will find these devotions based on hymns, carols and songs of Advent and Christmas helpful as you explore the creative tension between Christ’s coming 2000 years ago and our anticipation of his second coming.
Please follow this blog for daily updates throughout Advent. Click "2010 Advent Devotions" in the right margin to peruse them all on one page.
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