Minister's Blog

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
Waiting is an activity few of us enjoy. We become impatient in the mundane activities of our life but waiting for something long expected and special can be even more nerve-racking. Christmas is a season most of our children wait for with just this type of expectation and often impatience. We even refer to this by labelling things that move sluggishly, “as slow as Christmas.” Our children wait with great expectation and anticipation because they believe they will receive something meaningful. Parents and grandparents look forward with anticipation as they prepare for family members to arrive. They anticipate the fellowship they will share with family and the memories they will cherish for a lifetime.
Expectation, excitement, longing and even impatience were among the emotions experienced by the prophets, people of God and even the hosts of heaven as they awaited the first arrival of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, the Incarnate Word, born in a stable in Bethlehem. One of my favorite Hymns is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I am a sucker for an old hymn. This hymn of Advent has a powerful, pleading message, first sung in monastic communities 1200 years ago. I want to challenge our Emmanuel Baptist family to redeem our emotions and feelings this holiday season. As our children wait with great impatience to tear into their gifts, let us remind them of the greatest gift ever given. As we clean, cook and prepare for guests, may we meditate on the ways the Lord prepared this world for the first coming of His Son, Jesus Christ? May we ask the Lord to prepare our hearts for the second advent of Jesus Christ? Will He find us faithfully preparing for His return? Will He find us ready for that long awaited, yet unexpected moment? I pray the Lord will bless all our families this Christmas. I pray your entire family will celebrate and experience the greatest gift ever given.
O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home. Make safe for us the heavenward road and bar the way to death's abode.
O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar! Dispel the shadows of the night and turn our darkness into light.
O come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be yourself our King of Peace.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show and teach us in its ways to go.
O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law in cloud and majesty and awe
O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem, unto your own and rescue them! From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave.