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
No comments:
Post a Comment