by 
Sunday, December 4
O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind.
From O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
By Janet W.
It’s an invitation, isn’t it? That’s what strikes me most about this hauntingly beautiful Christmas hymn. The melody is full and evocative. The lyrics, to me, are just as compelling—telling the breathtaking story our Messiah’s coming to us. We could analyze words, musical notes, get ‘technical,’ but to me, it’s an invitation. The greatest invitation of all time.
I knew it was fate—writing this particular devotional. It’s been my favorite Christmas song for years. I approached the binder with my usual “let’s sign up and move on” thought process. I didn’t look over the entire binder; I simply glanced at the sign-up sheet, picking a date. One of the first blanks I saw was Dec. 4, so I filled in my name, hoping I’d get a ‘good song.’
When I saw that it was “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” I became filled with those familiar, serendipitous “chills” of Advent time. That ever-present yet always surprising, fulfilling feeling came over me— the old “this wasn’t just a coincidence” feeling.
I’d already received my best Christmas gift of the season (that I know of so far!), and it came from the simple act of signing up to write an Advent devotion.
Not “feeling the Spirit” this Advent season? Invite Christ into your heart: O come, Emmanuel. He’s with you, but you’re not fully experiencing that presence? Invite Christ deeper into your soul: O come, O come, Emmanuel; ransom our captive souls this Christmastide.
“O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine Advent here.”
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we open our hearts to invite you in this Advent. We know that You are already with us. Yet, we still need You. We humbly ask ~ we invite ~ Your Holy given Son into our presence, into everything we do this season and always. O come, O come Emmanuel. We do rejoice as You are Advent.
