 |
| Mark 13: 24-37 |
Advent, the special season of expectant waiting, has arrived!
A Peek at Our Gathering Hymn
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus: In the red ELW hymnal this hymn is set to the hymn tune Jefferson; however, due to the text's meter, it can also be set to the tune Stottgart, which is the tune we will be singing it to. Stottgart will be a familiar tune to those who remember singing Crashing Waters at Creation, which we sang during the summer Exodus series, coinciding with the scripture describing the parting of the Red Sea.
10:30am Service
Prelude
Even So Come: This powerful ballad about the return of Jesus will be performed by the praise team as the prelude this week as well as next week. This will give us the opportunity to learn it before we sing it together as a community as our song of the day for the 3rd week of Advent.
Gathering Song
O Come, O Come Emmanuel: We will have an opportunity to hear a unique version of this beloved traditional hymn of Advent, accompanied by the modern instruments of the praise team.
The origins of this hymn can be traced back to the 6th century. During each Vespers service from December 17th through December 23rd a different verse of the Seven Antiphons (referred to also as the O Antiphons) would be chanted by a monk, nun, or clergy member. This would be done in order of "rank" with the highest official singing the first antiphon during the first service of Advent:
- O Sapientia
- O Adonai
- O Radix Jesse
- O Clavis David
- O Oriens
- O Rex Gentium
- O Emmanuel
"Veni Emmanuel" is the tune that was later paired with a derivation of the Latin text from these original plainchant antiphons. Originally a French chant, the melody dates back to the 15th century, having previously been used as a burial chant for Franciscan nuns. The manuscript for the tune (found in the National Library of Paris) was paired with the derived text from the O Antiphons and published in 1851 by a musician (Thomas Helmore) and an Anglican priest (John Mason).
Praise Team Anthem
You'll Come: Written by Brooke Ligertwood, whose Desert Song has been a frequent favorite of St. Paul's, You'll Come will be played by the praise team after our first reading this week and next week, as a way of introducing the song to the congregation. It will be one of our Communion songs during the 3rd service in Advent, and will be our sending song during the 4th service in Advent.