Kia tau ki a koutou, te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua / grace and peace to you from God.
O Come, O Come Immanuel
O come, O come, Immanuel and ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
The writings of the prophet Isaiah inspired the hymn “O Come, O Come, Immanuel.” Long before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied about the Saviour God would send, implanting in the hearts of God’s people a longing for Immanuel. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, Isaiah wrote, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14). Though it was hard for the people in Isaiah’s day to imagine or understand how God would actually become a human, they began to long for this Messiah who would be “God with us.” They looked forward to the day when God would fulfil all his promises by coming to live with them.
We identify with them in their longing for God to fulfil his promise to send Jesus when we sing “O Come, O Come, Immanuel.”
To understand what this song is saying, we have to understand some of Israel’s history. Remember that at one time God’s people were slaves in Egypt and God brought them out, led by Moses. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years before finally entering into the land God had promised them. But God’s people sinned and rebelled, and after a while, one part of the country was carried off into exile to Assyria and another to Babylon. Living far away from home, the people of God longed for him to come and rescue them from their captivity. As they sat in exile, many undoubtedly remembered the prophetic words of Isaiah. A child was coming who would save Israel – the Lord’s presence in the flesh.
We sing of their longing in the first verse:
O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
When we sing the verse “O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer …,” it reminds us of Zechariah’s prophecy: “The morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78-79). In other words, Zechariah likened the coming Messiah to the rising sun, shining light upon the dark world (cf. John 1:1-5).
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! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
This song stirs in us a longing for Christ to come to fulfil his promises. The words prepare our hearts to truly celebrate Christmas when it comes. We are preparing for Christmas by purposefully nurturing in our hearts and in our homes a sacred longing for Christ to come. Singing this song reminds us that the birth of Christ was not a surprising turn of events in history; it was the long-awaited fulfilment of God’s promise to his people. As we sing it, we are encouraged that as he came before, he will come again! When he comes again, we’ll hear a shout from the throne of God, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them” (Revelation 21:3). When he comes back, all the longings we sing about will be fulfilled. Finally and forever we will enjoy Immanuel – God with us.
You are the God of history and time is in your hands,
so we know that you can be trusted to accomplish everything you intend in the world
and in our lives in your perfect timing.
So come, O come, Immanuel. Amen.
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent
by Nancy Guthrie.
What’s Happening With the LCNZ President?
This last Wednesday Judy Calder (Council of Synod chair) and Dr David Stolz (representing President Michael Semmler) and I had a teleconference meeting to discuss where things are at with regard to my assuming the office of LCNZ President.
Since the middle of October I have been receiving specialised help from my GP and from my Spiritual Supervisor, and I’m delighted to report to you that the three of us believe that I am well enough to be installed as your President early next year.
I still have an on-going health issue with my throat and a very persistent cough, and so I have been referred to a respiratory specialist for further investigation.
In my pastoral letter to our Church Workers this week (which hasn’t been posted to them yet; sorry guys), I wrote the following –
As well as greeting you this Christmas, I am writing to let you know that I will be formally accepting and assuming the office of President of the LCNZ in the New Year, with an installation date set for Sunday 12th February at St Pauls in Wellington, most likely at 2.00pm.
As you are aware, the journey to the presidency for me and my family has been a tough one. However, all the way, we have been sustained by the love of God and by an awareness of the love such people as yourself have had for us … so thank you for your prayers and your support.
So, please set aside Sunday 12th February, and come on down to Wellington for a party … oh, and an installation as well. I’m looking forward to it!
Pastor Called To Wellington/Wairarapa
At a call meeting last Sunday at St Pauls Wellington, Pastor Michael Jarick – currently serving as a College Pastor in Queensland – was called to be pastor of St Pauls and St Francis (Mauriceville West). Please pray for Michael as he considers this call, and for the people of St Pauls and St Francis as they wait for his answer, and for God to provide them with a pastoral shepherd.
Continue also to pray for God’s people at Mountainside in Auckland as they continue to prepare to call a pastor.
All Together Seven (The White Book?)
Time for a new
songbook – the last one came out over 4 years ago. Robin Mann wants
songs to hear, writers to check out, song-books to explore. Community
songs, ones you’ve heard in church or on CD. Send emails, CDs, print
music to Robin Mann, 54 Currawong Crescent, Modbury Heights SA 5092 or
by
email.
ALWS Christmas Gifts Of Grace On The Way
Fishing nets. Footballs. Small start-up business loans. Pigs. The famous Lutheran Long Drop Loo. Yes, it’s ALWS
Gifts of Grace time again. More than 20 unique gifts, starting from just $6, with many gifts under $20. Last year more than 10,000
Gifts of Grace
brought joy to the people who gave them AND received them – here in NZ
and in Australia, and in the developing communities where they were
delivered. If you need catalogues, or would like to buy
Gifts of Grace go to
www.alws.org.au/grace.
Prayer at the National Office
Every Friday morning at 9.30am, the Staff of the LCNZ National Office takes time to read God’s Word together and to pray. Anyone is welcome to submit prayer requests to the email below, and if you’re in the neighbourhood, please feel free to pop in and join us.
National Office Christmas Break
The National Office will close for the Christmas break at midday of Wednesday 21st December and will re-open in early January (date to be advised).
My family and I will be shifting to the president’s manse from 19th – 22nd December.
I will lead Christmas worship in Marton on Christmas morning.
I will then be on leave from 26th December – 17th January 2012.
Vice President, Pastor John Davison will be on call during this time.
Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou / the Lord be with you!
+MARK
President Elect – Lutheran Church of New Zealand
