ADVENT II

December 6, 2020

“And the People Call Out . . . “Oh, Come, Emmanuel!”    

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,               

Oh, come, oh, come, great Lord of might,               

Oh, come, strong Branch of Jesse,               

Oh, come, blest Dayspring, come               

Oh, come, O Key of David, come.      

Whenever we sing “Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel,” during Advent, I feel a unique sense of connection to our ancestors in the faith.  This ancient antiphon (responsive liturgy) originated as a poem as early as the 8th century, then a metrical version appeared as five verses in the 13th century.  The melody originated as a 15th century French Requiem Mass, and was adapted to create a hymn.      

The sound is spare and clean, moving at a deliberate pace, distinctive in its tone and tempo.  With a little imagination, we can envision a simple chapel, possibly in an isolated monastery.  There are no beautiful stained glass windows, no elegantly carved altar, pulpit or pews, just the purity of voices, singing, calling out in faith for the Messiah to come to his people.       

The prophecies of the Old Testament give many titles to the promised Messiah, and singing this hymn, we acknowledge Christ as the fulfillment of these prophesies.  The name Emmanuel means “God with us,” the great gift for which all people are waiting.  The reference to the strong Branch of Jesse takes us to Book of Ruth, in which we learn that Ruth and her husband Boaz were the grandparents of Jesse, who was the father of King David, the ancestor of Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph.  In the Gospel of Luke, (1:29) Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, prophesies that the Lord God “has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David.”      

The verses continue, calling for the Dayspring (the morning light) to drive away the darkness, of sin and death, and the Key of David by which Christ will open the gates of heaven for all those he comes to save.     

We call out “Oh, come” pleading for the One who brings the power and might of God to save, forgive, comfort and protect his people.  We call out in faith and trust that our Father in heaven is sending a Savior, who will bring us into relationship and new life in him.    

As we sing these timeless words, they  echo across the the centuries and around the world, expressing the hope and faith in the promise of a Messiah.  We anticipate hearing the beloved, familiar story once again, and we pray for Christ to come anew into this world of pain and suffering with the message of God’s boundless love and faithfulness for all people.                

Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel  Shall come to you, O Israel. 

Waiting and watching,

Your friend in Christ, 
Mary Rogers