Repeat the Sounding Joy - Advent 2018cmstl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Repeat-the... · Roman church and antiphonal/call-and-response adaptations of the Psalms. During the last

An Advent Journey: Repeat The Sounding Joy

Each year after the turkey and stuffing have been consumed, Christians and the broader culture alike, turn their attention to holly, tinsel, and presents under decorated evergreen trees. It is Christmas time. However, before we rush into the greatest shopping season of the year, the church pauses and waits in anticipation of the appearing of the promised Savior. This season of waiting for the “appearing” is called Advent.

No matter how many times this rhythm or annual liturgy plays out, we are filled with excitement and anticipation. It is a time for followers of Jesus to both look back at the child, king in the manger and to look forward for the triumphant, resurrected King to establish His new heavens and new earth. The season comes with certain smells, colors, foods, and even songs.

This Advent season at Christ Memorial and Reliant, we look deeper at some of those familiar and often sung hymns and songs of the season. By looking at their history, Biblical foundations, and story, these old and familiar tunes will have new meaning and depth for us. We hope that as we learn more about these songs, our hearts will be encouraged and our faith strengthened as we join all the angels and saints to repeat the sounding joy of the coming Savior, not only during the Advent season, but everyday of our lives.

These daily devotions were prepared collaboratively by the people of Christ Memorial and Reliant. These are their insights into God’s Word and reflections on the some our favorite songs of the season. A simple gift to you from your brothers and sisters in Christ. This booklet is intended to help our people and the broader Christian community to focus on Christ during this four week journey to Bethlehem. I pray this blesses you and your family during Advent and beyond as you repeat the sounding joy!

Have a blessed and joyous Advent.

Loved + Sent,

Pastor Bobby Walston

Advent Worship Opportunities

Christ Memorial Lutheran Church 5252 South Lindbergh, St. Louis, MO 63126

Saturdays 5:00 pm Sundays 7:45, 9:00 & 11:00

314.631.0304 | cmstl.org

Reliant @ Crave Coffeehouse 3500 Caroline St. St. Louis 63104

Sundays 11:15 am

Weekend Worship in Advent

December 1/2 “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” December 8/9 “What Child is This” December 15/16 “Hark the Herald, Angels Sing” December 22/23* “Joy to the World”

Midweek Worship

Family Services 5:15 pm Family service only on Dec. 5 & 12. Vespers Services 7:00pm

Advent 1, December 5 “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” Advent 2, December 12 “Silent Night” Advent 3, December 19 @ Crave* “Comfort, Comfort You My People“ *This Service will be hosted at our Reliant site *

“O Come O Come Emmanuel” LSB 357

O come, O come Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

Who ord'rest all things mightily;

to us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height

In ancient times didst give the Law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse's tree,

Free them from Satan's tyranny

That trust Thy mighty pow'r to save,

And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel

Shall come to thee,

O Israel!

O come, thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heav'nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Reflections from Worship

Sunday, December 2nd

In just a few weeks we will experience the shortest day of the year. On December 21, St. Louis will receive less than 9 ½ hours of sunlight. Many of us will leave our homes for work or school in darkness. And by the time we return home it will be dark once again. And even though electricity helps us to navigate the darkness, the shorter days and longer nights leave many feeling gloomy, melancholy, and depressed.

The ancient hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” finds its origin in the twelfth century Roman church and antiphonal/call-and-response adaptations of the Psalms. During the last seven days of Advent, each of the antiphons greets Jesus with one of the many titles ascribed to him in the Scriptures.

It is no coincidence the antiphon for December 21 addresses Jesus as Dayspring – literally the rising sun. On the darkest day of the year, our ancestors in the faith looked to Jesus to shine on them and deliver them from the darkness of sin and death. In Jesus we have the same hope of light and deliverance. That the Rising Sun of Heaven will return once again to shine on his people and defeat the darkness of sin and death once and for all.

Vicar Paul Dickerson, Christ Memorial Worship Communities

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

To Consider and Discuss:

In our day, electricity and other technologies have made physical darkness mostly an afterthought. And yet as a result of sin and brokenness, we still experience mental, emotional, and spiritual darkness. Where do you experience darkness in your life?

Ponder Jesus’s words: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). In what ways does Jesus dispel darkness and bring light to your life?

Monday, December 3rd

I hear the longing in the mournful melody—the words match the sentiment—“Come God, come, ransom us. Set us free.” We long for the appearance of the Savior, the “God with us, Emmanuel.” Like the children of Israel, who had been waiting for centuries since God’s promise that a virgin would bear a son (Is. 7:14), and his very name would mean “God with us,” (Matt 1:23) we sometimes feel this deep longing to see God today, in the midst of the struggle. And to our longing hearts, it seems that he will never appear.

But as each verse begins we are reminded of the hope that is Jesus. He is “God with Us” Emmanuel. He is Wisdom, ordering all things mightily. He is the Branch that grows from a seemingly dead stump, when it seems that all life is gone. He is the Key that alone can set us free from the Gates of Hell. He is the Dayspring: dawn of a new morning after a very dark night. He is the Peace we all desire.

And so we are able to sing the refrain—“Rejoice! Rejoice!” God with us shall come. And here’s the thing about “shall”—it’s the first person imperative. Imperative means it will happen. We can rejoice! God with us is with us. He will come into our situation, no matter how dark our days, how dead we feel, how captive we seem to be. Rejoice! God with us is with us!

-Susan Senechal, 11:00 Worship Community

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14b


What situation do you face today that has you longing for God with us?

Which description of God’s presence best describes what you need in that situation? (light in darkness, a key for release, life springing from something seemingly dead, etc.) Sing that verse on “replay” this week.

Tuesday, December 4th

When I study the Bible, a constant source of confusion for me is the passing of time. I hope I am not alone! I get into a section of Scripture only to find myself jumbled over when a story took place or even how long events took. Books overlap or are centuries apart. Lifetimes are condensed down to just a few lines and slip by in seconds. It’s a constant reminder of how different God’s time is from ours.

In the space between two verses, 50+ years Noah built the ark and waited for rain.

Nine chapters cover a lifetime of waiting for Abraham and Sarah to have their son

A single page flip covers 400 years of silence between the writing of the last book of the Old Testament and the coming of Jesus.

Today, we move immediately from God’s story in Malachi to Jesus’ birth in Matthew. Our single page turn marked 400 years of waiting for the Messiah without a single word from God. They passed on the stories of God’s love and faithfulness for centuries. Experienced lifetime after lifetime of wondering when God was going to finally do what He promised. No wonder we think of their cry as “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.”

And then, after 400 years of quiet, an angel appears to Mary and then to Joseph. Everything God had promised was coming true. Matthew 1:22 records “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” The wait was over and God’s Son was here to save us all.

In our days of immediate gratification, Christians are still called to wait, just as the Israelites were. We see the broken world around us, and we tell the story of a faithful God who forgives our sins. Gathering together, we patiently (or not so patiently) wait for Jesus to come once again and make all things right. From lifetime to lifetime we share the good news of God’s faithfulness and forgiveness until Jesus comes again. We tell the stories of God and pass lessons of faith. In this we join the Israelites of old in singing, “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” - Julianna Shults, Reliant Worship Community


Why does waiting feel so hard in our lives today?

How are you passing on God’s Word to the next generation as we wait?

How does the anticipation of Jesus’ coming change our lives today?

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.


“Come, thou long expected Jesus”” LSB 338

Come, thou long expected Jesus,

born to set thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us,

let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth thou art;

dear desire of every nation,

joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver;

Born a child and yet a king!

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all-sufficient merit

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Wednesday, December 5th

The holiday season begins with Halloween. Then, on November 1, the grinning jack o lanterns and fun-sized candy bars in Walgreens are replaced with red-nosed reindeer and candy canes. The holiday season ramps up in excitement at Thanksgiving and peaks spectacularly at Christmas. It smells like pumpkin spice and peppermint. It tastes like hot cocoa and sugar cookies. It sounds like silver bells and Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas.” The holiday season is snowflakes and lights on evergreen trees, mistletoe and sugarplum fairies. During the holiday season, Hallmark movies celebrate the magic of romance; Charles Dickens preaches the miracle of charity; George Bailey shows us the power of family and community. It’s no wonder that for many people, including myself, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

But even though both precede Christmas, we shouldn’t confuse the holiday season with Advent. The holiday season glorifies the potential of human love—the depths of what is possible if we are kind enough, hope enough, give enough. But Advent exposes mankind’s limitations—that our kindness, hope, and generosity cannot undo the devastation of our cruelty, despair, and selfishness. The holiday season tells us we are the light. Advent tells us how badly we need the light.

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

—Isaiah 9:2

Hymn writer Charles Wesley encountered humanity’s darkness firsthand through the atrocity of slavery, which he witnessed in the American colonies. When he portrayed humans as captives longing to be set free in “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” he had seen for himself the terror and helplessness of captivity and the depths of human depravity. Wesley recognized that such horror exposes how all of mankind is caught in a web of sins and fears that we cannot free ourselves from. However, the hymn also affirms that even though we cannot save ourselves, we have a Messiah who has already come, as promised, to free us from our sins and fears, and who will come again, as promised, to establish His kingdom of perfect peace and justice in our broken world.

The holiday season is sparkle and shine and, as we woefully realize on January 2nd, ultimately fleeting and insubstantial. But Advent has roots: It exposes our frailty and powerlessness, our need to be saved from our own darkness. And then, with hope and joy, Advent reminds that we have a Savior who keeps His promises. He has already come, and He will come again.

-Megan Roegner, Reliant Worship Community


What are your favorite parts of the holiday season? How can you use them to help prepare you for the joy of Christmas?

What is happening in your life and/or the world that most powerfully reveals our need for Jesus to “come”?

Thursday, December 6th

For many countries around the world, December 6th is a special holiday known as St. Nick’s Day (originally celebrated in Europe as the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas). On the evening of December 5th, children place their shoes outside their doors or on their windowsills and head off to bed. They eagerly await the arrival of St. Nicholas, who will fill their shoes with candy and treats as they sleep -- if they have been well-behaved since his last visit. This tradition is not unlike the secularized hanging of stockings on Christmas Eve to be filled by Santa Claus. However, just like naughty children are told they will receive coal in their stocking, St. Nick’s Day traditions hold that bad behavior is rewarded only with a rod left instead of candy, meant to be used for discipline by the child’s parents.

While this holiday is meant to be celebrated lightheartedly, it carries a certain dangerous teaching: good behavior earns good rewards, and bad behavior earns punishment. This is not an uncommon teaching in our culture year-round, and, in terms of the justice system and civil behavior, it is generally true. We expect to be repaid in full for our good works and punished for our wrongdoings in the earthly kingdom. In the kingdom of God, however, we are taught something different.

As Charles Wesley writes, “Come, Thou long expected Jesus / Born to set Thy people free” he reminds us of the simple truth of the Gospel. Jesus came into our world specifically for the sake of freeing us from our sin. Just like the children wait expectantly for St. Nick to bring them candy, the world waited expectantly for the coming Messiah. And now, we wait expectantly for His return. His grace is not given like candy to the well-behaved, but freely to all who believe in Him. His rod is not one that comes down to punish, but one that comes to comfort. His Spirit reigns in us forever. Not by any merit of our own, but by His, we are raised to His glorious throne.

-Dana Simpkin, Youth Ministry Intern Summer 2018, Concordia University Nebraska Student


Think of a time you were expecting something. Did you get what you expected? How did it feel?

What are some expectations you have about Jesus or God? Why do you think you hold those expectations?

Come, Thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free”

Friday, December 7th

We know that none of us are free from sin. We are slaves to it, no matter how hard we try not to sin. The Advent season, our patient waiting for the arrival of Jesus, brings us joy, forgiveness, and hope for an eternal kingdom full of grace and free of sin. This hope comes even when we feel like we are waiting in darkness.

The Israelites spent a lot of time waiting in darkness, but they knew a great light, a Savior, would come and deliver them from this darkness. Not only did He come, but the book of Hebrews tells us that He is able to empathize with us. He was tempted, much like we are every day, but He did not sin. He is not a Savior that observes us from far away, but rather, a Savior who has been in our shoes, overcame the temptation to sin, and took on our sin. He provides grace when we struggle.

Each of us fails God daily, but God’s justice for this failure is not violent. His justice is gracious. No matter the situation, God’s love does not fail.

-Koleen Barnes, Reliant Worship Community


What sins do you feel slave to?

What can you do when you feel like you are waiting in darkness?

How does God provide grace in your time of need?

Saturday, December 8th

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize

with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been

tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the

throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

—Hebrews 4: 15-16


“What Child Is This” LSB 370

What child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the king,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The babe, the son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christian, fear; for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you;

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,


So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh;

Come, peasant king, to own Him.

The King of kings salvation brings;

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise the song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby;

Joy, joy, for Christ is born,


Sunday, December 9th

I love Advent and Christmas hymns. They offer words of joy and hope in a world full of angry, despondent, and anxious words. “What Child is This?” particularly gives us words of peace and pardon. In this hymn these words of peace and pardon come from the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, “The babe, the son of Mary!” The second verse especially highlights Jesus as “the Word made flesh.” Yet, violent words permeate this verse as it points ahead to Good Friday. Nails and spear would pierce through the Word as he bore the cross. The verse echoes the first half of Isaiah 53:5 that proclaims “he was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” This verse, along with Isaiah, points to the day when death would silence all words from “the Word made flesh.”

Still, this remains a great hymn. However, have you ever noticed that we frequently skip over the second verse? Sometimes we only sing the first and third verses in our worship services. On the radio and Christmas albums singers regularly exclude the second verse. I don’t know why this happens, but it’s quite unfortunate when it does. This practice, in a way, “silences” the words of the verse. In fact, without this verse, the gospel is largely “silenced” from the hymn! Perhaps a parallel exists here with our everyday lives. How often do we skip over the gospel and it becomes “silenced” from our lives? We can get so caught up in the stress of our day to day lives that we can’t hear God the Father’s tender words of care for us. Words of hatred, despair, and slander can drown out Christ’s words of peace and pardon. Words about disease and death can silence the Spirit’s hope and life giving words to us.

Though busyness, affliction, and brokenness may attempt to silence the gospel’s words to us, the birth of “the Word made flesh” cannot be silenced. On Christmas, “The silent Word,” the baby in the manger, plead for the sake of sinners; likewise, the Word plead for your sake as he died on the cross on Good Friday. The Word plead to the Father that you might be forgiven and restored and given eternal life. The Word’s pleading has truly given you pardon and peace! What wonderful words! To this we can sing the words “Hail, hail the Word made flesh, The babe, the son of Mary!”

- Luke Watt, Concordia Seminary Field Work Student, Christ Memorial and Reliant Worship Communities


How can words impact your day? How might your words impact someone else?

What words from the Word made flesh can you speak to yourself or others when the gospel seems to be silenced?

He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed

for our iniquities.

—Isaiah 53:5

Monday, December 10th

During the Christmas season, we often read and talk about Mary and Jesus in the manger. You can see this scene all over! Everyone can relate to seeing a newborn in their mother’s lap. Young Mary was quickly faced with unsuitable conditions. She wasn’t in a hospital or with doctors, she was with Joseph in a dirty barn. Any mother would be terrified, not to mention a fifteen year old girl who is unmarried and in a strange city. Add to that the fact that she knows she is carrying the son of God. Not exactly the ideal situation.

Once Jesus came into the world, the situation quickly changed. He was met by shepherds and wisemen who wanted to worship Him. Even the king wanted to come worship him! God humbled himself to become a man and was still worshiped.

As Jesus became an adult, some of the ‘aw’ that followed him as a baby was gone. He was not treated as the Son of God, but rather as a traitor who held no esteem. No kings came to worship him. Instead, he took up our pain and carried it on his own shoulders so we wouldn’t have to carry it on our own. - Koleen Barnes, Reliant Worship Community

Come, peasant king, to own Him.

The King of kings salvation brings;

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise the song on high.


In what ways do you feel like Mary? When are you overwhelmed?

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, lost, and astray, what does God do to bring you back to Him? How does He comfort you?


Let that sink in. Jesus slept. He was a baby like any other. He needed sleep because He was fully human.

But, at the same time, Jesus was wildly unlike any other baby that had ever been born before or since. He was human, but He was God. Angels sang to Him. Shepherds proclaimed His birth. Wise Men traveled miles to deliver gifts to Him.

The writer of this hymn, William Chatterton Dix, suffered from a near-death experience shortly before he wrote it. Is it any wonder that he was contemplating the humanity of God when he wrote this hymn?

In a state of human weakness—having confronted death—it seems natural that William would dwell on the humanity of Jesus, eventually coming to the hope-filled conclusion that this child sleeping in Mary’s lap is, indeed, Christ the King, who came to Earth for our salvation. For us lowly humans who need sleep too.

- Hannah Osborne, Reliant Worship Community

What child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary's lap is sleeping?


What surprises you most about Jesus being an actual human?

What is the hardest part about thinking about Jesus being human, even though He was equally God and completely perfect?

”Silent Night” LSB 363

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and child.

Holy Infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!

Alles schläft, einsam wacht

Nur das traute, hochheilige Paar.

Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,

Schlaf in himmlishcer Ruh.


Shepherds quake at the sight;

Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heav'nly hosts sing, Alleluia!

Christ, the Savior, is born!

Christ, the Savior, is born!


Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.


“Silent night, holy night!” It’s hard to hear these words without getting warm and fuzzy feelings. Soft, gentle music. Maybe a warm fire and a glass of eggnog. Candle-lit church services. Silent. Calm. Bright. The heavenly peace is palpable.

In our frantic and noisy lives, it’s easy for us to equate silence with peace. Who doesn’t want a little peace and quiet? But what if silence isn’t a sign of peace at all? What if it’s the sign of a broken relationship? And what if God is the one who is silent? That was the case for Israel. For 400 years, ever since the day of the prophet Malachi, God had been silent. No prophet. No word from God. No peace.

And then one night, the silence was broken. The peace of a “silent night” was shattered as first one angel and then an entire troop of the heavenly army appeared in the glory of the Lord. The shepherds were terrified as God finally ended his silence. And in the deafening roar of the angel’s message, peace was restored. Silent night? Not hardly. But a message of heavenly peace? Then and now, nothing sounds sweeter. - Vicar Paul Dickerson, Christ Memorial Worship Communities

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:4


Our God is a God of reversals. He humbles and proud and raises the lowly. He kills and then makes alive again. Look up Isaiah 53:1-5 and consider how the violence of the cross is the avenue for our peace with God.

Is there a relationship in your life that has gone “silent” and needs a word of peace? Is God sending you as his messenger of peace and forgiveness?


Luke 2:8-15

Many of us know the story behind Silent Night: how it was written by a discouraged priest and his organist after their organ was declared hopelessly beyond repair and would not be available for use on Christmas Eve. The simple tune, written for guitar, has become a standard at many a Christmas Eve Candlelight service.

We sing, almost in a whisper, hushed tones so as not to wake the baby Jesus. But the other details of that holy night weren’t hushed at all. It may have been quiet when the shepherds were watching their flocks, with just the bleating of the sheep, but suddenly the still night exploded in light and sound—an angel bringing the news, the heavenly hosts proclaiming “Glory to God in the Highest.” It was enough to make the shepherds quake in fright.

Today we are reminded God works both ways. When our lives are filled with activities and noise and preconceived ideas on how thing should be, how God should act, he may bring a sudden silence, time to contemplate the wonder that is Jesus. And when our lives are quiet, perhaps filled with complacency, he may shake us up, filling our world with a great company of heavenly hosts, (or earthly calamity), leaving us to go and seek the Lord. --Susan Senechal, 11:00 Worship Community


Where have you seen God bring quiet to your noise?

Where have you seen God break into your complacency with his presence?

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with

whom he is pleased!

Luke 2:14

Friday, December 14th

The church organ in the little alpine village of Oberndorf, Austria, had gone silent, broken down, kaput. And Father Joseph Mohr was scrambling for something appropriate to use for Christmas Eve Mass, knowing it would be accompanied by a more humble (quiet) instrument, a guitar possibly. With the help of Franz Gruber, the church’s organist, one of the most famous Christmas hymns came to be.

“Silent Night” has its own personality and feel which makes it unique. For instance, have you ever heard “Silent Night” sung loud, I mean really loud, like “O Come All Ye Faithful” or “The Hallelujah Chorus” loud? Probably not. “Silent Night” is meant to be sung like the title suggests—sort of quietly. Even a congregation of 500 or a choir of 50 knows it should be sung sort of quietly, worthy of thoughtful, moving harmony.

Some of you have experienced the wonderful feeling of sitting in a dark room in the middle of the night holding an infant who is now sleeping quietly. It’s time to put the child and you back to bed, but you are held back by the special warm sensation of the moment. “Silent Night” conjures up these special images and places us in the stable itself, with baby Jesus sleeping quietly before us. “Christ the Savior is Born. Christ the Savior is Born.”

Ninety-six years after this hymn was written, on Christmas Eve, 1914, 100,000 foot soldiers, German, English, and French, emerged from cold, muddy, trenches in the “No Man’s Land” of World War I. The guns and shelling went silent and soldiers who had been at bloody noisy war, stopped, put down their guns, and the famous “Christmas Truce” took place. The soldiers met half way between the battle lines, exchanged items, shook hands, and visited. And they took turns singing Christmas hymns. Doubtless “Silent Night” was one of them. It was probably sung in English and French as well as in its original German tongue, bearing the title, “Stille Nacht.” Imagine hearing the soft harmony of soldiers’ voices carrying across the fields, the very fields where comrades were killed and destruction literally rained down on them just hours earlier. The farthest thing from peaceful or silent was their experience. But for some hours, a few days in some areas, the perfect metaphor of Jesus Christ, the “Prince of Peace” played itself out on this battlefield. - Ken Bickel, Reliant Worship Community

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the gifts of Christian men and women who use their creative and musical talents to help us experience and commit to memory your Christmas Gospel message. Inspire us this Advent season to stop what we are doing and adore You deeply and joyfully. Help us experience the intended inner peace that the world cannot give. We worship you, our dear Prince of Peace. Amen


Do you have a quiet place where you like to go sometimes?

If you can’t get there, do you have other ways to enjoy silence? Is it purely “inner” silence?

Wherever or whatever that place is, try to picture yourself sitting on straw in a barn or cave with baby Jesus sleeping across from you in an animal feed box. Maybe go angelic and hum or sing your favorite Christmas carol sort of quietly.

Sabbath Rest

Saturday, December 15th

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!

Alles schläft, einsam wacht

Nur das traute, hochheilige Paar.

Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,

Schlaf in himmlishcer Ruh.


“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” LSB 380

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!"

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With the angelic host proclaim

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ, by highest heav'n adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold Him come,

Offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as Man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Immanuel!

Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris'n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Sunday, December 16th

“Hark! The Herald Angel Sing” is another of my favorite Christmas hymns. Theologically rich lyrics are combined with a cheerful tune that results in a joyful celebration of Jesus’ birth. A quick Google search on the carol will reveal that its lyrics were written by the renown hymn writer Charles Wesley. It is interesting, however, that Wesley originally wanted a more solemn and slow tune to accompany the lyrics. The hymn we have today is the result of several alterations to its original composition. The tune we have today, written by Felix Mendelssohn over a hundred years after Wesley penned the lyrics, has resulted in a carol much different than what Wesley had originally expected.

Wesley had his own idea for this hymn, but the song we have today is much different. Isn’t that how much of life seems to go? We set our hearts in a certain direction, but life ends up taking us somewhere completely different. The job we had such high hopes for never came. The once perfect relationship has disintegrated. Health concerns restrict our activities. The personal issues we thought we’d be over by now still plague us. We want one thing, but we get something else. We expect joy and happiness, but we get disappointment and hurt. The same can be said for Jesus. The Jews had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries. They had expected a powerful king that would deliver them from their enemies. What they got instead was a helpless baby lying in a manger. How often do we want God to show up in some powerful and miraculous way in our lives today? God, if you would just cure this illness! Lord, please get me that job! God, why isn’t this relationship working out? God can seem “veiled” from our eyes.

We long for a powerful King to enter our lives to solve our problems, to make life go the way we hope it would go. God, though, in his wisdom, usually doesn’t interact with us in big and powerful ways. Like the helpless babe who actually was God “Veiled in flesh,” God enters our lives in meek and “veiled” ways. God comes to us through the reading and proclamation of his Word. He joins himself with us through the water, bread, and wine found in the sacraments. He engages us with the love and service we receive through our family and friends. Though life often doesn’t turn out the way we thought it would, we can still celebrate that Jesus continues to unveil himself to us as the Christ, the everlasting Lord, our Immanuel, the Prince of Peace. “Glory to the newborn King!”

- Luke Watt, Concordia Seminary Field Work Student, Christ Memorial and Reliant Worship Communities


Has God ever “un-veiled” himself to you in an unexpected way?

In what ways did Jesus go against the expectations of the Messiah? Why do you think he did this?

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity!



Monday, December 17th

“Hark” is a word we are all familiar with (at least in the context of this classic hymn) as it comes around each holiday season, but I wonder if many of us really think about what it means as we sing it. It isn’t exactly common vocabulary. Simply defined, the word means “listen”. It isn’t meant in a calm fashion, as someone might say, “Hey, listen to this cool new song I found” -- no, rather, it is imperative, a demand: “LISTEN!” The angels have something important to say! But they are only the messengers. The real bearer of the Good News, the most important thing, is the very Message itself - the newborn King, the embodiment of peace on earth and mercy mild.

There’s a reason the angels are so insistent that we pay attention to what they have to say. They know how significant this Good News is. They know what kind of pure joy has just entered the earth. Scripture tells of other joyous moments - the shepherd who rejoices as he finds his lost sheep, the father who rejoices as his prodigal son returns home, John the Baptist leaping for joy in Elizabeth’s womb - but these joys are small compared to the joy proclaimed by the angels. This is none other than Emmanuel, God with us.



A popular acronym in one of my favorite summer camp songs is “J.O.Y” - Jesus, Others, and You. “Jesus” comes first, above all, deserving of all praise and honor and glory, and also as a guiding light for us to look to and follow. “Others” comes second, as we are called to serve them before ourselves. “You” is third, submissive to the first two, but not insignificant or unrewarded. We rejoice in simply knowing Jesus. We rejoice in the opportunity to share the Good News with others. We rejoice as God descends to us in the flesh and says, “I have come for you.” And so we too, with joyful hearts, respond, “Glory, glory to the newborn King!”

- Dana Simpkin, Youth Ministry Intern Summer 2018, Concordia University Nebraska Student


What’s the most exciting news you have ever given or received? How did it make you feel to share that news with someone else or receive it for yourself?

What’s one specific, enthusiastic way you can share the joy of Christ with someone else today?


What are “Herald Angels”? They are angels who serve as announcers for God. Their message was to shepherds in the dark of night and recorded for us in the Gospel according to St. Luke, then captured by Charles Wesley in 1739 through a poem, and arranged in hymn form by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840. The herald angel appeared and announced, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” (Luke 2:10) And after this solo herald completed his detailed message about Jesus’ birth location---- POW! “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom his favor rests!’ ” (Luke 2:13,14)

Pretend you were there, taking a walk nearby outside the town, where suddenly the sky exploded in light and sound as one, then a multitude of heavenly bodies blasted out the herald message supplied by God himself. Maybe it was spoken. Maybe it was sung. In any case this angelic band had one of the most pleasurable assignments ever handed out: To announce the birth of the Savior of the world. On a scale of 1 to 10 for pure awesomeness, you would have given it an 11!

You would have been witness to the first of a series of historical events that would surpass any others in importance. You would have witnessed the angel’s announcement of Christ incarnate, born as a baby, lying in a MANGER, followed three decades later by Jesus’ atoning death on the CROSS, (God and sinners reconciled) followed by the Sunday morning event in which, once again, a herald angel announced that “He is not here. He has risen!” (Luke 24:6), followed weeks later by Jesus Christ’s Ascension, culminating in his wearing a CROWN as Lord of all. - Ken Bickel, Reliant Worship Community

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your angels. Thank you for sending them on Christmas Eve long ago to break through the curtain that separates the visible from the invisible. Thank you for allowing us to experience this most wonderful event through the Gospel record. Please fill us with joy that you have reconciled us to you through your mercy displayed in these awesome ways. Amen.


Angels are prominent in the Christmas story. Do you have other favorite stories involving God’s Messengers?

Angels are assigned by God to serve his people. We can be encouraged that they do their jobs faithfully. Consider that even Jesus was “strengthened” by an angel while he prayed. Read Luke 22:39-43.

Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all people.

Luke 2:10

“Comfort, Comfort, You, my People ” LSB 347

Comfort, comfort ye My people,

Speak ye peace," thus saith our God;

"Comfort those who sit in darkness,

Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.

Speak ye to Jerusalem

Of the peace that waits for them;

Tell her that her sins I cover

And her warfare now is over.”

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,

Blotting out each dark misdeed;

All that well deserved His anger

He no more will see or heed.

She hath suffered many a day,

Now her griefs have passed away;

God will change her pining sadness

Into ever-springing gladness.

Hark, the herald's voice is crying

In the desert far and near,

Calling sinners to repentance,

Since the Kingdom now is here.

O that warning cry obey!

Now prepare for God a way;

Let the valley rise to meet Him

And the hills bow down to greet Him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked;

Make the rougher places plain.

Let your hearts be true and humble,

As befits His holy reign.

For the glory of the Lord

Now o'er earth is shed abroad,

And all flesh shall see the token

That His Word is never broken.


Indwelling

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self,

Like to a shell dishabited,

Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf,

And say, "This is not dead,”

And fill thee with Himself instead.

But thou are all replete with very thou

And hast such shrewd activity,

That when He comes He says, "This is enow

Unto itself - 'twere better let it be,

It is so small and full, there is no room for me.”

—T.E. Brown

For some reason “Comfort, Comfort You My People” reminds me of the poem “Indwelling” by the Victorian poet T.E. Brown. Probably because, as a constant worrier, my oppression’s load is largely of my own creation. The worries, which generally range from the insignificant (How will the baby sleep tonight?) to the ridiculous (Will I have failed as a parent if the kids never take piano lessons?), fill me with self-centered thoughts, make me replete with very me. In my most honest moments, I can confess that this worrying is a form of idolatry—it exposes a belief that, if I try hard enough, I can control every aspect of my life and the lives around me. It asserts my desires over the will of God and prevents me from trusting His promises.

Ironically, it’s when my problems are the biggest that it’s easiest to empty myself of self. In the face of real pain and scary circumstances completely out of my control, I can put my hands up and surrender; I can ask, not for a hoped-for outcome, but for an ability to see God’s hand in whatever happens.

Advent is the season of surrender. “Comfort” and Isaiah 40 speak words of hope to a world that is suffering from the weight of very real and painful burdens. We cannot carry them on our own--we have to admit that even our most “shrewd” selves are not enough. But Advent is also the season of hope. In the same moment when we admit our weakness, we are assured that our Savior has come, is coming. Through Him, we are more than enough.

The prophet calls for the very earth to prepare for Jesus’s coming, for the valleys to rise and the hills to bow down. In the midst of the vastness of these actions, it’s easy to minimize the importance of preparing ourselves, of emptying ourselves of selves to make room for Him. But, in the end, it is only through letting ourselves—our controlling, small, and weary selves—go that we can be filled with Him, be the true selves He made us to be. - Megan Roegner, Reliant Worship Community


In what ways are you sometimes “replete with very Thou”? How does this affect your relationship with God and others?

What can you do to prepare the way of the Lord in your own heart and the world?


I grew up with the sounds of NPR on the radio every morning. My dad would play it from the kitchen and Morning Edition, their morning news show, would waft in and out of the background as I got ready. I loved trying to understand the politics, world events, and culture around me. Consequently, I may have been one of the most well-informed grade-schoolers out there.

Many mornings lately, I struggle to listen to the news for more than 10 or 15 minutes. There is so much of it that breaks my heart, makes me furious, and steals my hope. Shootings in schools, churches, and synagogues. Desperate families fleeing war torn countries for an uncertain future. Divisive politics. Hatred and pain. It is all too much for me to process before my morning cup of coffee. Shamefully, I often want to sing along to Top 40 or listen to an audio book than hear what is going on in our world today.

Sin, pain, and suffering are nothing new. The Fall into sin broke our relationship with God, with each other, and even our world. But the 24-hour news cycle and social media feeds bombard us with all that is wrong like never before. I don’t think I am alone in despairing for our world. Advent reminds us God did not leave us without hope. Isaiah 40:1-2 says, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”

Jesus came restore us to God and make right what once was broken by sin. In a hopeless world, God gives us hope in the birth of Jesus and in the forgiveness of sins. Though today seems hard, there is hope and joy that someday all will be made right. We will know that though we “hath suffered many a day, now her griefs have passed away; God will change (our) pinning sadness into ever springing gladness.”

Hope in Jesus is exactly what this world needs. It’s what it has always needed. Christians today have a special joy in bringing God’s hope to a broken, hurting world. What a gift to give this Advent season. - Julianna Shults, Reliant Worship Community


What in our world today makes you hopeful? Hopeless?

Where can you speak a word of comfort into someone’s life today?

She hath suffered many a day,

Now her griefs have passed away;

God will change her pining sadness

Into ever-springing gladness.

Friday, December 21st

Christmas doesn’t always sound like jingle bells. It doesn’t always feel merry and bright. It doesn’t always look like there’s joy in the world.

Christmas oftentimes looks like an empty recliner. A microwavable meal. A silent, lonely night. At Christmas, we often need comfort.

In Isaiah 40, the text this hymn is based on, the English word comfort comes from the Hebrew nacham, which can mean to have compassion, to be sorry, to be moved to pity. It’s more than just a pat on the shoulder—it’s a meaningful sort of tender care.

Jesus felt a similar feeling of compassion “because [the people] were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). The Greek word for compassion here, splagchnizomai, implies a deep feeling of compassion in the bowels, which were believed to be the place of love in Jesus’ day.

God—both in the Old and New Testaments—feels compassion for you, wherever you’re at this Christmas. If you are “mourning ’neath [your] sorrows’ load,” know that your Heavenly Father seeks to comfort you. He knows your emptiness, He knows your sorrow, and He knows your pain. And He loves you. - Hannah Osborne, Reliant Worship Community


Who in your community needs comforting this Christmas? How can you comfort them?

How does your perception of God change knowing that He actually seeks to comfort you in the midst of your sorrow?

..because [the people] were

harassed and helpless, like sheep

without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:36

Saturday, December 22nd

Sabbath Rest


“Joy to the World ” LSB 387

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King:

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room

And heav'n and nature sing,

And heav'n and nature sing,

And heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let men their song employ,

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love.

Sunday, December 23rd

As our Advent journey draws to a close it is fitting that we focus on the classic hymn “Joy to the World”. It is fitting because this hymn is based on a Psalm that looks back to the Old Testament but at the same time looks forward, past the babe lying the manger and to the triumphant second coming of the King Jesus. Which is what the Christian life is all about isn’t it? Remembering God’s great faithfulness in the past, while living with purpose in the present, with eyes ever forward awaiting the return of Jesus to usher in the New Creation.

This favorite Christmas hymn is the result of a collaboration of at least three people: the English poet and clergyman Isaac Watts, the well known German-born composer George Frederic Handel, and the third was a music educator in Boston named Lowell Mason. The result is a Christmas hymn based on an Old Testament psalm, set to musical fragments composed in England, and pieced together across the Atlantic in the United States!

These three men, whose lives spanned time and geography formed the popular song we know today. That picture of God’s people across the generations “repeating the sounding joy” of the coming of the once and future King is what Advent is all about. Arrival.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing.

The arrival of what was promised.

The arrival of what we have hoped for.

The arrival of what has been told from of old.

The arrival of what we have only seen in part but soon will see fully.

And until that arrival is fully complete we, like those who have gone before us in the faith, will work with purpose and passion in the present, ever repeating this sounding joy until every corner of creation is redeemed in Jesus!

Thank you for joining us on this Advent journey. I pray that these devotions composed by your brothers and sisters in the faith have been fruitful and have helped you both experience Advent in a new way, while at the same time “repeating the sounding joy” of generations past. - Pastor Bobby Walston

To Consider and Discuss::

What is something you have waited long for? Has it been fulfilled or are you still waiting? How does/did the waiting shape or change how you lived?

How has this Advent season been like previous ones? How has this Advent been new to you?

Documents

Repeat the Sounding Joy - Advent 2018cmstl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Repeat-the... · Roman church and antiphonal/call-and-response adaptations of the Psalms. During the last