1st Week of Advent: O Come, O Come, Immanuel
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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 ComeEmmanuel.
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
Advent artwork courtesy of my cousin-in-law Marilyn Parente. Of these beautiful creations, Marilyn says, "I created them using images of panels of glass I shot in Disney with a bit of clipart and some Photoshop thrown in for good measure." Thank you so much for sharing, dear sister in the Lord!
*copyright PhotoScribblings by MB Parente. Used with permission.
PS Dear friends,
If you are struggling to feel connected to the Lord, though you may know in your head you belong to Him, please consider reading and exploring The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension. This volume reveals a God who is intimately and securely united with us through faith in His Son Emmanuel. In it you will find manna for your heart, not just your head. You will discover there not only simple, practical instruction, but also meditation, stories for application, questions for journaling and just pondering...and more.
Or maybe you aren't struggling but just want to go deeper...this is for you too. You can dive into the deep or stay on the surface...your choice.
Christmas is also a good time to not only read and meditate on this topic, but also to share it with others as a gifts.
And the book is very accessible and affordable. You can purchase on online at Amazon and other retailers (see links at The Withness of our God). It's available in paperback or hardback. And I've priced the ebook at the lowest possible price, $3.99.
So please take a look and consider walking with us on this journey into The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension.
And thank you for your grace!
