“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (ELW 257)
Devotion
For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
The text for today's hymn cannot be published due to copyright limitations. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The last seven days of Advent are of a particular intensity. Many know the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." We sing it often, sometimes more than once, during Advent. Its roots are ancient. The text dates back perhaps to the 5th century. It was in regular use by the 8th century. The church has been singing this yearning cry for many centuries. Even before it was used as a hymn, the seven verses marked each of the last days before Christmas, like the first Advent season of seven days! Today, we sing and pray the second verse: O wisdom. This verse summarizes much of our meditation over the past three weeks. Wisdom comes from the mouth of the most high. Wisdom is the word, God's word, Jesus Christ, who is coming and "ordering all things," that is, gathering us all into himself, gathering all of creation, establishing peace and reconciliation, restoring all things. Christ does this certainly ("mightily") and with mercy ("sweetly"). We do not fear for Christ is mercy.
Prayer
O wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the most high, embracing all things far and nigh, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of wisdom.