As we sing old familiar Christmas hymns, we’re often distracted or disengaged. This is especially true if the songs are difficult to understand. When we take time to learn their biblical and historical roots, we see the messages they depict more clearly. We see the Gospel; the good news that God came to be with us so we can be with him!
Sermons on Advent 2019
This Christmas Hymn first written on Christmas Eve 1816, takes us on a journey through the nativity from the point of view of various groups. In the end, the chorus beckons all of us to “come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.” And that is the essential call of Christmas. For everyone and all creation to come and worship Christ the King of the Universe whom we celebrate in this season.
The Christmas Hymn, “I Heard the Bells” was originally a poem written in 1863 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. With the country in civil war, Henry’s son heading off to fight against his wishes, the death of his first wife followed by a recent house fire which killed his second wife and left his face permanently disfigured, Longfellow knew sorrow. Yet he, like the prophet Isaiah and Jesus himself, also knew God’s peace. On this 2nd Sunday of Advent we discover how God’s people can experienced divine peace in the midst of deep anguish.
As we begin our advent journey this year, we encounter Hope. Jesus came as a baby, but not just any baby. He was Emmanuel – God with us! And the great Hope we have is that we serve a God that is with us! Through everything and anything we experience we can long for and hope that Christ will come into our situation and lives because He has done it before, He is doing it now and He will do it again!