Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Advent 1 Year C
Welcome,
this is Paul Lathum, I am a retired United Methodist Pastor, I have a bachelor’s
degree in sacred music. I call this podcast and blog “Parson Paul on the Hymns.”
I welcome you to my first podcast. I hope in the next several episodes to share
some of my most favorite Advent and Christmas Hymns I hope they are yours as
well. In the future I plan to explore other hymns with interviews some other church
leaders and hear about their favorite hymn and worship music. I will also try
to enrich this with background and historical study.
I
hope this provides some background for your personal study, uplifting music for
your edification and a useful planning help. Please let me know how I can help
more.
I
love music of all sorts. The Apostle Paul talked about in Ephesians 5:19, “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
I think music continues to develop along these very lines. Now I would
concentrate on the hymns, where they came from and how we got them.
We
are indebted to the many great musicians which down the centuries have refined,
edited and kept alive the ancient voice of the church in its music. From the
time of our most ancient ancestors we have tried to express feelings about God,
faith and their life experiences through music. I'm not sure when the first
instance of human music but Genesis 1:20 records that birds other animals appeared
on the 4th day of creation. I'm sure there was a lot of singing as they were
created and told to be fruitful and multiply.Then
after God created man on the 5th day I imagine God singing of a
great job done well. It is recorded that God took the 7th day of
creation as a day of rest and I can just imagine God -- singing of a job well
done.
Today's
choice of hymns is “Oh Come, O Come, Emmanuel” this hymn was originally written
in Latin and was used in 8th 9th century monastic life along with the readings
of the Magnificat from Luke 1:46-55, just prior to Christmas Eve. John Mason
Neil 1818-1866 discovered an early 18th century manuscript Psalterium Cationum Catholicerum and included it in his collection
of Medieval Hymns and Sequences of 1850 with a refrain.
Scriptural
references to the coming Messiah - Emmanuel are found in Isaiah 7:14 and
Matthew 1:23. Matthew directly quotes
Isaiah “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name
Emmanuel,” God with us. The tune we sing this him to is called Veni Emmanuel and
was found noted in a French missal from the 15th century. Sister Thomas Moore
located the tune in the Bibliotheque Nactionale
in Paris. It was used as a processional for French Franciscan nuns.
Over
the years there have been several different variations on the order of stanzas
however the original Latin text remains, “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” with
antiphons that can be read between the verses. All point to the anticipation of
the coming of Emmanuel - God with us. As a friend of mine Dr. Mike Rose once
advised don't rush to get to Christmas Hymns too soon in worship. But rather share
in the anticipation and longing celebrated in the advent season as we look
forward to the coming King. “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Today we live within and
need that expectation of the coming of Emanuel God with us.
O
Come, O Come Emmanuel, is found in the United Methodist Hymnal on page 211.
A
traditional choir with organ
Carols from King's
2016 | #7 "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" - The Choir of King's College,
Cambridge
Here
is a fresh setting by Crosspoint Worship
Instrumental Version O come, O come, Emmanuel -
(Piano/Cello) - The Piano Guys
Write me with comments and ways I can help you. Paul Lathum
plathum@me.com
I love this new blog & podcast! My favorite version of O Come O Vine Emmanuel was the last one with piano & cello.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was great as well. Thanks for commenting. I've got a new episode posted now.
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