1st Week of Advent: O Come, O Come, Immanuel

Who would have ever imagined it?  God in the flesh! 

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When I was a child, I always loved Advent.  There was a melancholia, a longing…but mixed at the same time with anticipation and hope. How did I get all that as a child?  I’m sure I didn’t, except to say that maybe all the sights and sounds and smells…all the scriptures and songs and prayers and stories of the “liturgical celebration” weren’t entirely lost on me, nor on many of you.  The reality of our God who became Man, Jesus, has grown in me over the years as I’ve walked and talked with my Savior.

But whether you have had that sort of background as a child or not, why not journey with us these next weeks.  Take it all in as if for the first time…all the sights, sounds, and smells…all the scriptures and songs and prayers and stories.

Below are Scripture readings for every day this week.  Let the Word of God wash over you day by day.  I’ve linked the passages to biblegateway.com so you can change the version as you wish.

But first, enjoy this Christmas Carol to start off your Advent devotions.  It’s one of my childhood favorites:  O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

I love the intense longing expressed in this song…a longing for the presence of God Himself into our frail humanity…a presence that is our Present Reality in Christ.

Who would have ever imagined it?  God in the flesh!  C.S. Lewis was right when he called the Incarnation (God made Man, God with Us), The Grand Miracle.

Sing it with us, and let the emotion and wonder of it all bathe over you!

 

O Come O Come Emmanuel Selah

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.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did’st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel. 

For an interesting story behind the song, click here.

 

Readings for the First Week of Advent:

Sunday–  Luke 4:16-21

Monday–  John 1:1-18

Tuesday–  Hebrews 1:1-14

Wednesday–  Philippians 2:1-11

Thursday–  Luke 2:41-52

Friday–  Matthew 3:1-17

Saturday–  Matthew 4:12-25

 

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on A Branch in the Vine

Featured Image by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Lyrics: John Mason Neal -translatedJan Loyd

 

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About the Author

Jan Loyd is a child of God, a disciple of Christ, a Jersey girl, a former nun, a teacher, and now a wife of 48 years, mother of two, grandmother of 5 boys and finally a baby girl...these are just some of the hats she wears or has worn. Her hat as teacher has seemed to be one she’s worn her entire adult life, ranging from teaching elementary school, homeschool, adult ESOL and GED language and writing. But along with all of these opportunities has been her favorite above all the rest: teaching women the Word of God in various ways, Precept Upon Precept and Bible Studies she’s developed by the grace and tutelage of God along the way. The heart of the message that she delights to share is that we are in union with the Living God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Currently you may find her on her devotional blog “A Branch in the Vine” where she shares several times a week and in her Bible Study/ devotional book The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension.