Advent: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
As always, the Word of God sets the stage for us today...
We marvel at the authority, majesty, and power of this new King, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
While these titles might apply, in part, to an earthly king, in their fullness they belong only to God.
This past Sunday, we marked the beginning of Advent. What is Advent? The word “advent" is from the Latin word for “coming" and it refers to the “coming” of our Lord Jesus Christ into the flesh.
Advent begins the church year because the church year begins where Jesus' earthly life began — in the Old Testament prophecies of His incarnation. After Advent comes Christmas, which is about His birth; then Epiphany, about His miracles and ministry; then Lent, about His cross-bound mission for you, for me, and for all mankind; then Easter, about His resurrection and the sending of the apostles; and then Ascension (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost, with the sending of the Holy Spirit.
At a time when we're all frantically shopping for presents, putting up endless Christmas decorations, and anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus, the liturgical season of Advent reminds us Christians to slow down and anticipate and reflect upon (by prayerful preparation through repentance and faith) the coming of Christ both in the past in His First Coming as the baby Jesus, but also in the future with His promised Second Coming as Christ Triumphant.
Furthermore, Advent is a time for us to focus on receiving His present coming to us in both His Word and His Sacraments.
Yes, Advent is a season of quiet anticipation, expectation, and sober patience. It is also a time for singing about Him and what He has done and continues to do for us.
The wonderful Advent hymns of Lutheranism are often regarded as some of the greatest of the musical treasures bequeathed to the Church, because the words always place the focus squarely on our Lord and Savior and His undeserved works for us.
Here was this past Sunday's beautiful "Hymn of the Day" at my church (as well as a few other versions of this classic song that I really like!)...
No, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" isn't a distinctly Lutheran hymn by any means, but it is a perfect example of the type of hymns we Lutherans typically sing during each (liturgical) Divine Service -- Christ-centered.
In a Lutheran layman's terms, don't let these next few weeks fly by without taking a moment or two to stop, pause, and prayerfully reflect on this beautiful season of Advent.
NOTE: Please understand that I'm not a called and ordained minister of God's Word and Sacraments. I'm a layman or just your average everyday Christian, Corporate Recruiter, Husband, Father, Friend who lives in the "City of Good Neighbors" here on the East Coast. As another Christian Blogger once wrote, "Please do not see this blog as me attempting to 'publicly teach' the faith, but view it as an informal Public Journal of sorts about my own experiences and journey, and if any of my notes here help you in any way at all, then I say, 'Praise the Lord!' but please do double check them against the Word of God and with your own Pastor." To be more specific, and relevant to the point I want to make with this disclaimer/note, please understand that I'm a relatively new convert to "Confessional Lutheranism" and one who recently escaped an American-Evangelical-Non-Denominational mindset a little more than 4 years ago now despite being a Christian my whole life. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way back into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is inconsistent with the Bible, our Confessions, and Lutheran doctrine in general (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and repeatedly point us back to over and over again) so that I can not only correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray (James 3:1), but repent of my sin and learn the whole truth myself. With that in mind, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier/older pieces I wrote for this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that "Old Evangelical Adam" category (and they don't have a disclaimer like this) since I was a "Lutheran-In-Name-Only" at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a Christian "Book of Concord" even existed (Small/Large Catechism? What's that!?!). This knowledge of the Lutheran basics was completely foreign to me even though I was baptized, confirmed, and married in an LCMS church! So, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavily influenced by those old beliefs of mine. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because they are not blasphemous/heretical, because I now have this disclaimer, and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Most importantly, please know that any time I engage in commenting on and/or interpreting a specific portion of the holy Scriptures, it will always closely follow the verse-by-verse footnotes from my Lutheran Study Bible and/or include references to the Book of Concord unless otherwise noted. Typically, I will defer to what other Lutheran Pastors both past and present have already preached and taught about such passages since they are the called and ordained under-shepherds of our souls here on earth. Finally, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length of most entries (this disclaimer/note is a perfect example of what I mean! haha). I'm well aware that blogs should be short, sweet, and to the point, but I've never been one to follow the rules when it comes to writing. Besides, this website is more like a "Christian Dude's Diary" in the sense that everything I write about and share publicly isn't always what's "popular" or "#trending" at the time, but is instead all the things that I'm studying myself at the moment. For better or for worse, these posts tend to be much longer than most blog entries you'll find elsewhere only because I try to pack as much info as possible into a single piece so that I can refer to it again and again over time if I need to (and so that it can be a valuable resource for others -- if possible, a "One-Stop-Shop" of sorts). Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Feel free to comment/email me at any time. Grace and peace to you and yours!
Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
We marvel at the authority, majesty, and power of this new King, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
While these titles might apply, in part, to an earthly king, in their fullness they belong only to God.
This past Sunday, we marked the beginning of Advent. What is Advent? The word “advent" is from the Latin word for “coming" and it refers to the “coming” of our Lord Jesus Christ into the flesh.
Advent begins the church year because the church year begins where Jesus' earthly life began — in the Old Testament prophecies of His incarnation. After Advent comes Christmas, which is about His birth; then Epiphany, about His miracles and ministry; then Lent, about His cross-bound mission for you, for me, and for all mankind; then Easter, about His resurrection and the sending of the apostles; and then Ascension (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost, with the sending of the Holy Spirit.
At a time when we're all frantically shopping for presents, putting up endless Christmas decorations, and anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus, the liturgical season of Advent reminds us Christians to slow down and anticipate and reflect upon (by prayerful preparation through repentance and faith) the coming of Christ both in the past in His First Coming as the baby Jesus, but also in the future with His promised Second Coming as Christ Triumphant.
Furthermore, Advent is a time for us to focus on receiving His present coming to us in both His Word and His Sacraments.
Yes, Advent is a season of quiet anticipation, expectation, and sober patience. It is also a time for singing about Him and what He has done and continues to do for us.
The wonderful Advent hymns of Lutheranism are often regarded as some of the greatest of the musical treasures bequeathed to the Church, because the words always place the focus squarely on our Lord and Savior and His undeserved works for us.
Here was this past Sunday's beautiful "Hymn of the Day" at my church (as well as a few other versions of this classic song that I really like!)...
"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
No, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" isn't a distinctly Lutheran hymn by any means, but it is a perfect example of the type of hymns we Lutherans typically sing during each (liturgical) Divine Service -- Christ-centered.
In a Lutheran layman's terms, don't let these next few weeks fly by without taking a moment or two to stop, pause, and prayerfully reflect on this beautiful season of Advent.
NOTE: Please understand that I'm not a called and ordained minister of God's Word and Sacraments. I'm a layman or just your average everyday Christian, Corporate Recruiter, Husband, Father, Friend who lives in the "City of Good Neighbors" here on the East Coast. As another Christian Blogger once wrote, "Please do not see this blog as me attempting to 'publicly teach' the faith, but view it as an informal Public Journal of sorts about my own experiences and journey, and if any of my notes here help you in any way at all, then I say, 'Praise the Lord!' but please do double check them against the Word of God and with your own Pastor." To be more specific, and relevant to the point I want to make with this disclaimer/note, please understand that I'm a relatively new convert to "Confessional Lutheranism" and one who recently escaped an American-Evangelical-Non-Denominational mindset a little more than 4 years ago now despite being a Christian my whole life. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way back into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is inconsistent with the Bible, our Confessions, and Lutheran doctrine in general (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and repeatedly point us back to over and over again) so that I can not only correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray (James 3:1), but repent of my sin and learn the whole truth myself. With that in mind, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier/older pieces I wrote for this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that "Old Evangelical Adam" category (and they don't have a disclaimer like this) since I was a "Lutheran-In-Name-Only" at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a Christian "Book of Concord" even existed (Small/Large Catechism? What's that!?!). This knowledge of the Lutheran basics was completely foreign to me even though I was baptized, confirmed, and married in an LCMS church! So, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavily influenced by those old beliefs of mine. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because they are not blasphemous/heretical, because I now have this disclaimer, and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Most importantly, please know that any time I engage in commenting on and/or interpreting a specific portion of the holy Scriptures, it will always closely follow the verse-by-verse footnotes from my Lutheran Study Bible and/or include references to the Book of Concord unless otherwise noted. Typically, I will defer to what other Lutheran Pastors both past and present have already preached and taught about such passages since they are the called and ordained under-shepherds of our souls here on earth. Finally, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length of most entries (this disclaimer/note is a perfect example of what I mean! haha). I'm well aware that blogs should be short, sweet, and to the point, but I've never been one to follow the rules when it comes to writing. Besides, this website is more like a "Christian Dude's Diary" in the sense that everything I write about and share publicly isn't always what's "popular" or "#trending" at the time, but is instead all the things that I'm studying myself at the moment. For better or for worse, these posts tend to be much longer than most blog entries you'll find elsewhere only because I try to pack as much info as possible into a single piece so that I can refer to it again and again over time if I need to (and so that it can be a valuable resource for others -- if possible, a "One-Stop-Shop" of sorts). Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Feel free to comment/email me at any time. Grace and peace to you and yours!
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Thank you for visiting A Lutheran Layman! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question since we do not exercise censorship. We've seen a similar policy with other blogs and it's worth repeating: Please act as if you're a guest in my home, and we'll get along just fine. I think anyone would agree that the kind of back-and-forth that is characteristic of blogs/chat forums and social media is becoming tiresome for all of us. Still, we should confess, edify, and love (and contend and defend when needed). Bottom line? Search the Scriptures! Apply Acts 17:11 to anything and everything you find here and, if you do happen to disagree with something you find here (which is certainly ok), or think I'm "irresponsible" and "wrong" for writing it, then please refute my position by supporting yours with Scripture and/or the Confessions. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, especially for those who identify themselves as "Christians" here, right? Besides, Proverbs 27:17 tells us "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" and 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." If you have an opinion that's great, I welcome it, but try to support it using God's Word. I mean, if the goal here is to help us all arrive at the truth of God's Word (myself included), then it should be easy to follow through on this one simple request (I'm talking to all you "Anonymous" visitors out there). Grace and peace to you and yours!