Today, on what should be the most joyful Sunday in advent, we acknowledged the grief and prayers we hold for those who have lost their children, family members and teachers in Connecticut this past week. The following words are from the hymn we sang at the lighting of the advent wreath this week. It is all about Emmanuel, God with us in the sorrow. It is about the promise (heard loudly in advent) that he will come again to make right what is unbearably broken. Although it was hard to do any rejoicing, the words are a call, a plea, for Christ to come into the darkness…..
O come, O Branch of Jesse, free your own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o’er the grave.
O come, O key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
O come, O Dayspring, come and cheer; O sun of justice, now draw near
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
Tomorrow we go back to Mary’s song…..
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