O Come, O Come Emmanuel

We sing an Advent song each night while we wait for the birth of the Christ child. Some years I hang up our Advent tree-story board that I made, some years I don’t. This is a treeless year. We are keeping it simple and besides, much of the crafty tree I made is broken by now and I am not up for glue sticks this season.

Tonight we sang the very classic and borderline over-sung beauty “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I could never commit to this being an over-sung piece, though. It comes from a very old tradition where the church sings the names of Jesus during the last seven days of Advent; this is called the “O Antiphons.” The O Antiphons begin on December 17 and lead up to Christmas Eve.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel echoes these names of Christ. How impacting they are to consider.

Before you read the lyrics below, consider which one you are walking in today. Are you in lonely exile? Call on God with You. Are you suffering the tyranny of death or sickness personally or with a loved one? Call upon the Rod of Jesse.

Are you lost in the gloomy clouds of night? O Dayspring, Come!
Do you know misery too well? The Key of David makes a safe way to heaven!

Do you suffer from indecision or murky waters of morality? Consult Adonai who gives a perfect law! Call upon Wisdom!

Are you tired of division and quarreling? Pray, O Desire of Nations, come. Bring peace. Bring heavenly peace.

Wherever you are, there is God who hears your prayers.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

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 Dayspring, from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
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 heav’nly 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, Adonai, Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.