“Savior of the Nations, Come” (ELW 263)
Devotion
Savior of the nations, come;
virgin's son, make here your home.
Marvel now, O heav'n and earth:
God has chosen such a birth.
Not by human flesh and blood,
but the mystic Breath of God,
was the Word of God made flesh,
fruit of woman, blossom fresh.
Wondrous birth—oh, wondrous child—
from his throne, a virgin mild!
Very God, and Mary's son,
eager now his race to run!
From God's heart the Savior speeds,
back to God his pathway leads;
out to vanquish death's command,
back to reign at God's right hand.
Now your manger, shining bright,
hallows night with newborn light.
Night cannot this light subdue;
let our faith shine ever new.
Praise we sing to Christ the Lord,
virgin's son, incarnate Word!
To the holy Trinity
praise we sing eternally!
"Savior of the Nations, Come" Text copyright 2006 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. No further reproduction or distribution allowed without the written permission of Augsburg Fortress.
During this first week of Advent, we have considered what it means to marvel with heaven and with earth at God's coming. To marvel is to wake up and be vigilant. It is to see God at work in places and in persons we never expected. It is to have our usual categories of judgment (and self-justification) turned upside down and inside out. Our relationship to everyone and everything around us is different as we wait, for we know that we wait together, in community, and with all of creation. We leave behind the darkness of judgment, building walls and protecting ourselves from the unfamiliar. We take the risk of welcoming the neighbor no matter how different they may be from us. We take the risk of being surprised by God who comes to us in the unexpected at every moment.
Prayer
Come, O God, make here your home. Transfigure our inclination to self-justification and surprise us with your goodness. Amen.