The Hymn of the Day: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

The Hymn of the Day is designated for each Sunday of the Church Year.  These hymns are selected to reflect the theme of the day as found in the Gospel Lesson.  They are rich in theological content and are of historic significance in the worship life of the Church. They reflect the broad spectrum of the Christian Church coming from all parts of the world and from every age of the Church.

Unfortunately Lutheran Service Book does not contain the list of Hymns of the Day.  However, they are found in Lutheran Worship.

The Hymn of the Day for this Sunday is one of the best loved Advent hymns, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”  This hymn was originally written in Latin and titled, “Veni, veni, Emmanuel.”  It is based on the great “O Antiphons.” The Great O Antiphons are seven brief prayers that are traditionally chanted or sung on successive evenings starting on December 17.

The origins of these Great O Antiphons is unknown but by the 8^th and 9^th centuries they were in use throughout western Europe at the evening services during Advent. The O Antiphons are printed in Lutheran Service Book following  hymn  357.  Each O Antiphon addresses Christ by one of His Old Testament titles and prays for Him to come in fulfillment the Old Testament prophesies concerning the promised Savior.

The translation from Latin was done in the 1800’s by John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin. Henry Sloane Coffin was one of the most famous Presbyterian ministers of his day in America. 

John Mason Neale was an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn-writer who was born in London in 1818. He made English-speaking congregations aware of the centuries-old heritage of Latin, Greek, Russian, and Syrian hymns.

In addition to O Come, O Come Emmanuel, his translations include:

All Glory, Laud, and Honor, LSB 442

A Great and Mighty Wonder, LSB 383

Good King Wenceslas

Of the Father's Heart Begotten, LSB 384

Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle, LSB 454

Before The Ending of The Day, LSB 889

Propers Plus for The Fourth Sunday in Advent

As We Gather

God chose a faithful young woman to be the mother of our Savior.  She recognized that in the world’s eyes she was not highly regarded but God set the might of the world in motion to bring her and Joseph to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born. He brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble. During this Advent time and always may we, like Mary, humbly serve the Savior of the Nations.

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

 that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

 The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors,

 that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

 The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!

Psalm 24:7-10

HYMN ~ “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”................................ LSB 357

(Stanzas 1-3)

LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH - THE FOURTH CANDLE:

P     As we light the Fourth candle on our Advent wreath, we rejoice that God chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of Immanuel, God with us, our Savior, Jesus.  May we join with Mary in magnifying the Lord for doing great and mighty things through such a lowly birth in Bethlehem. Let us also humble ourselves to prepare for the Savior of the Nations to come.

C    Savior of the nations, come,

Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!

Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,

That the Lord chose such a birth.

Here a maid was found with child,

Yet remained a virgin mild.

In her womb this truth was shown:

God was there upon His throne.

Introit

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down | righteousness;*

     let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may | bear fruit.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his | handiwork.*

     In them he has set a tent | for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his | chamber,*

     and, like a strong man, runs its | course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the | end of them,*

     and there is nothing hidden | from its heat.

Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*

     and to the Holy | Spirit;

as it was in the be- | ginning,*

     is now, and will be forever. | Amen.

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down | righteousness;*

     let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may | bear fruit.

Ps. 19:1, 4c, 5–6; antiphon: Is. 45:8a, b

Collect of the Day

P ... Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C    Amen.

Reading from the Book of Concord -                                  

The Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VIII, 12, 13.

We believe, teach, and confess that Mary conceived and bore not merely a man and no more, but God’s true Son.  Therefore, she also is rightly called and truly is “the mother of God.”

We also believe, teach, and confess that it was not a mere man who suffered, died, was buried, descended to hell, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and was raised to God’s majesty and almighty power for us.  But it was a man whose human nature has such a profound, indescribable union and communion with God’s Son that it is one person with Him.

Readings from Holy Scripture

           

Old Testament Reading                              2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16

¹Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, ²the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” ³And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

      ⁴But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, ⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? ⁶I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. ⁷In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ ⁸Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. ⁹And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ¹¹from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. . . . ¹⁶And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

Gradual

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of | Zion.*

     Shout aloud, O daughter of Jer- | usalem.

Behold, your king is com- | ing to you;*

     righteous and having sal- | vation.

Blessèd is he who comes in the name | of the Lord.*

     From the house of the Lord we | bless You.

Zech. 9:9; Ps. 118:26, alt.

Epistle Lesson                                         Romans 16:25–27

²⁵Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages ²⁶but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— ²⁷to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Verse

P       Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

C     and they shall call his name Immanuel.

Matt. 1:23a

Holy Gospel                                                               Luke 1:26–38

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

      ³⁴And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

      ³⁵And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

HYMN ~ “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came”............ LSB 356

Offertory ~ “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates” ..... LSB 341

(Stanza 1)

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!

Behold, the King of glory waits.

The King of kings is drawing near;

The Savior of the world is here.

Life and salvation He doth bring;

Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.

To God the Father raise

Your joyful songs of praise.

HYMN ~ “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”................................ LSB 357

(Stanzas 4-7)

All scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Reading from the book of Concord is from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Readers Edition of the Book of Concord - 2nd edition, Copyright 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House

Third Advent Midweek Service Preview

Waiting with Joy

Service of Light

Hymn ~ “The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns”

Hymn ~ “Ah, Dearest Jesus”

       Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

       Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,

       A quiet chamber set apart

       For You to dwell within my heart.

Psalm 26

Old, Testament Reading                               Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11

      ¹The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

        because the Lord has anointed me

      to bring good news to the poor;

        he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

      to proclaim liberty to the captives,

        and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

        ²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

        and the day of vengeance of our God;

        to comfort all who mourn;

        ³to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

        to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

      the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

        the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

      that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

        the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

        ⁴They shall build up the ancient ruins;

        they shall raise up the former devastations;

      they shall repair the ruined cities,

        the devastations of many generations. . . .

        ⁸For I the Lord love justice;

        I hate robbery and wrong;

      I will faithfully give them their recompense,

        and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

        ⁹Their offspring shall be known among the nations,

        and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;

      all who see them shall acknowledge them,

        that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

        ¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

        my soul shall exult in my God,

      for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

        he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

      as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

        and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

        ¹¹For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

        and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

      so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

        to sprout up before all the nations.

Epistle Lesson                                          Philippians 4:4–7

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Holy Gospel                                                    Luke 1:5–17

⁵In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. ⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

⁸Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Hymn ~ “Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord”.................... LSB 352

Magnificat...................................................................................................... Page 248

Hymn ~ “Hark The Glad Song”....................................................... LSB 349

Acknowledgments

All scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Advent waiting! Joy is coming!

How often do you feel sad?  What makes you feel sad?  Do you feel poor? Are you brokenhearted? Do you feel like a prisoner to life’s circumstances? Are you mourning? Do you feel too weak and faint to face life’s challenges?

These same problems were felt by God’s people of old.  Isaiah prophesied that the coming Messiah would be the cure for these heart wrenching problems.  Indeed Jesus did come to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives, to bring comfort and gladness to all who mourn, and strength to those who feel faint.

Heinrich Held was one of the best Silesian hymn writers. He was born in 1620 and lived only 39 years. His short life was filled with the trials and afflictions of war.  When he was just 23 years old he published a book of hymns and poems. One of those hymns has become a favorite in the English language:   Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord.

 In spite of experiencing the difficulties of life he is able to boldly proclaim:

Let the earth now praise the Lord,

Who has truly kept His word

And at last to us did send

Christ, the sinner’s help and friend.

No matter what has broken your heart, Christ is your help and friend. How wonderful and marvelous it is that God has kept His word of promise given through the prophet Isaiah.

Knowing that Heinrich Held lived during a time of turmoil and war, the fourth stanza of his hymn is particularly moving.

As Your coming was in peace,

Quiet, full of gentleness,

Let the same mind dwell in me

Which is Yours eternally.

Like Heinrich Held you may face devastating circumstances in life, but like him may your life be filled with the joy and peace of Christ this Advent and always.

Pastor Quardokus

Propers Plus for the Third Sunday in Advent

The Third Sunday in Advent

Gaudete!

As We Gather

The Third Sunday in Advent is a Sunday of rejoicing! The third candle on the Advent wreath is traditionally pink or rose color to symbolize the joy that comes with the knowledge that we are about to celebrate Christ’s birth. Our introit begins with the words of Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord, Always.” The rose candle reminds us of “The Rose of Sharon” (Song of Solomon 2:1) and is one of the names of Christ.

Prelude “Comfort, Comfort”................................................. Christus Choir

Clarinets:  Jill, Measel, Rachel Matheny

Piccolo:  Jennifer Jackemeyer

Hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”......................... LSB 338

LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH - THE THIRD CANDLE:

P    As we light the third candle on our Advent wreath, we rejoice that God chose to send forth His only-begotten son to become fully man, born of the virgin and under the Law to redeem us and the world so that we may receive adoption into the family God through faith.  May the Lord use this Advent time to lighten the burdens of our hearts as we prepare for the Savior of the Nations to come.

C  Here a maid was found with child,

Yet remained a virgin mild.

In her womb this truth was shown:

God was there upon His throne.

Then stepped forth the Lord of all

From His pure and kingly hall;

God of God, yet fully man,

His heroic course began.

Introit ~ “Comfort, My People”..................... Christus Choir

Flutist – Sandy Strefling

Collect of the Day

Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Reading from the Book of Concord                                    

Apology of the Augsburg Confession,

Article IV, Justification 80, 81

Christ is not received as a Mediator except by faith.  Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.  Likewise, Paul says in Romans 5:2, “Through Him we have also obtained access” and adds, “by faith.” Therefore, we are reconciled to the Father and receive forgiveness of sins when we are comforted with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.

Readings from Holy Scripture

           

Old, Testament Reading                               Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11

      ¹The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

        because the Lord has anointed me

      to bring good news to the poor;

        he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

      to proclaim liberty to the captives,

        and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

        ²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

        and the day of vengeance of our God;

        to comfort all who mourn;

        ³to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

        to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

      the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

        the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

      that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

        the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

        ⁴They shall build up the ancient ruins;

        they shall raise up the former devastations;

      they shall repair the ruined cities,

        the devastations of many generations. . . .

        ⁸For I the Lord love justice;

        I hate robbery and wrong;

      I will faithfully give them their recompense,

        and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

        ⁹Their offspring shall be known among the nations,

        and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;

      all who see them shall acknowledge them,

        that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

        ¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

        my soul shall exult in my God,

      for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

        he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

      as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

        and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

        ¹¹For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

        and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

      so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

        to sprout up before all the nations.

Gradual ~ Psalm 126..................................................................... Christus Choir

Epistle Lesson                                1 Thessalonians 5:16–24

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies, ²¹but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

      ²³Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

P      Alleluia. Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

C   who will prepare your way before you. Alleluia.

Matt. 11:10b

Holy Gospel                                                      John 1:6–8, 19–28

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. . . .

      ¹⁹And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²²So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

      ²⁴(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Hymn ~ “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding” .............. LSB 345

Congregation: stanzas 1, 3 & 5; Choir: stanzas  2 & 4

Offertory ~ “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” ...................... LSB 357

(Stanza 1)

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!

Distribution Hymns

“Your Table I Approach”.......................................................... LSB 628

“Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness”............................ LSB 636

Hymn “In Thee Is Gladness”............................................................. LSB 818

All scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Reading from the book of Concord is from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Readers Edition of the Book of Concord - 2nd edition, Copyright 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House