Hey everyone,
tomorrow Jordan will resume our preaching series through the book of Luke. We'll be in Luke 2, so be sure to read the chapter ahead of time to prepare.
Because we'll be starting the chapter about the birth of Christ tomorrow, we've planned a couple of "Christmas" hymns to sing, as a part of the regular worship set. We did this because these hymns were written to be sung in church beyond just Christmas or Advent services, and also because they stand alone in their content. The Incarnation of Christ, the appearance of our Savior after thousands of years of longing, is central to our faith! This is glorious, foundational stuff, and there's great justification for singing these songs at other times besides Christmas.
So, that being said, amidst our other singing tomorrow, we'll include the following 2 Christmas carols:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
This song expresses, maybe better than any other song I know, the sense of longing we encounter as we read the first 2 chapters of Luke. In this Gospel, Luke really showcases Christ as the fulfillment of God's promises to send a Savior for His people; and not only would God give us a Savior - He would give us Emmanuel, God with us, in his Son Jesus. This one may or may not include a verse tomorrow that you haven't heard before!
Charles Wesley wrote this hymn as a joyous song of praise, at the birth of Jesus. In this hymn you have echoes of Old Testament prophecies that are fulfilled in the coming of Christ. In this hymn from the 18th century, we have a similar expression of worship to Zechariah's prophecy, and Simeon's song of praise in the first 2 chapters of Luke.
You'll have to come tomorrow to get the rest of the worship set. Hope to see you then!
Josh
