Emmanuel

*** Revised Common Lectionary *** Lectionary Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16 CLASSIC POEM: O Come, O Come Emmanuel Traditional Latin hymn Trans to English by J.M Neale, H.S. Coffin O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory o’er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. 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. 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. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Adonai, Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height, In ancient times didst give the law In cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, And order all things, far and nigh; To us the path of knowledge show, And cause us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind; Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. *** This poem is in the public domain, and may be read in a live-streamed worship service. LISTEN to Sufjan Stevens’s rendition of this hymn: CONTEMPORARY POEM: Book of Isaiah, Part I Anne Carson SNIPPET: Once God and Isaiah were friends. God and Isaiah used to converse nightly, Isaiah would rush into the garden. They conversed under the Branch, night streamed down. From the sole of the foot to the head God would make Isaiah ring. Isaiah had loved God and now his love was turned to pain. [ READ THE FULL POEM ]