Notes on the Notes – December 11, 2022

Third Sunday of Advent

Radiate Joy!

This week’s music:

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”  (VU #1 v. 6)

“O come, thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadow put to flight. 
Rejoice!  Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a well-known Advent hymn. While it is most commonly known by that English title, it is in fact a translation of the original Latin, “Veni, Veni, Emmanuel,” from the 9th century.  Each week during Advent, we will be using one verse of the hymn as our candle-lighting response.  This week’s verse refers to the Dayspring from on high who will come to cheer us.  The word “dayspring” is a very old word meaning the beginning of a new era or order of things.  We long for the One sent by God who will come to re-order the world, scattering the things that weigh us down and bringing us joy.

See Peter Hollens’ version of the hymn at:  https://youtu.be/zshzkkD-NYA

“My Soul Cries Out” (MV #120)

The text of the hymn we are singing today is a paraphrase of Luke 1:46-55, the Magnificat text,  Mary’s song of praise that is her response to her visit to her cousin Elizabeth.   It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymn texts.   In the narrative, after Mary greets Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist, the child moves within Elizabeth’s womb. When Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith, Mary sings what is now known as the Magnificat in response,  praising God, who, through her child, will change the world. It is a joyful text, full of hope for a time of change in a dismal world.

“My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
For the world is about to turn.

From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, every mouth be fed,
For the world is about to turn.

Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast;
God’s mercy must deliver us from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound,
‘Till the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
Who is turning the world around.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
And the world is about to turn!”

“Jesus Came Bringing Us Joy” (MV #33)

“Jesus came bringing us joy,
Jesus came bringing us joy,
Jesus came bringing us joy,
Hallelujah, forever more!”

The words and music for this song come from a traditional Cameroon song. It was arranged for inclusion in More Voices in 2007.  We will be using the third verse of the song as we explore this week’s Advent theme of joy.

“Joy Shall Come” (VU #23)

“Joy shall come even to the wilderness,
And the parched land shall then know great gladness;
As the rose, as the rose shall deserts blossom,
Deserts like a garden blossom.
For living springs shall give cool water,
In the desert streams shall flow;
For living springs shall give cool water,
In the desert streams shall flow.”

Based on Isaiah 35:1-10, this hymn uses a traditional Israeli tune, arranged by Darryl Nixon in 1987. A desert bloom is a dramatic climatic phenomenon that occurs after a lengthy period of drought when the rains finally come. The rainfall reaches the seeds and bulbs that have been in dormant state, often for years, causing them to bloom and flower abundantly. One can only imagine the joy of the ancient peoples experiencing this phenomenon after years of heat and dryness. Through his words, Isaiah likens the coming of the future Messiah to this experience.

Hear the hymn at: https://www.youtube.com./watch?v=PExNRqK3PPA

Watch a video showing how the desert changes at:  https://youtu.be/7hhYPerBv4o

“She Walked in the Summer” (VU #12) 

“She walked in the summer through the heat on the hill.
She hurried as one who went with a will.
She danced in the sunlight when the day was done.
Her heart knew no evening who carried the sun.

Fresh as a flower at the first ray of dawn,
She came to her cousin whose morning was gone.
There leaped a little child in the ancient womb,
And there leaped a little hope in every ancient tomb.

Hail, little sister, who heralds the spring.
Hail, brave mother, of whom prophets sing.
Hail to the moment beneath your breast.
May all generations call you blessed.

When you walk in the summer through the heat on the hill,
When you’re wound with the wind and one with Her will,
Be brave with the burden you are blessed to bear,
For it’s Christ that you carry everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.”

This song is a thought-provoking narration of the the encounter between Mary and her older cousin Elizabeth.  The music is beautifully simple, arising from the folk song revival in the late 1960s. Sister Miriam Therese Winter wrote the song in 1968 for the feast of the Visitation, then celebrated in the summer. The text was altered for more inclusive language and re-published in Woman Prayer, Woman Song (1987).

“When Will the Little King Come” 

When will the little King come?
When will we see God’s Son?
We will sing and shout for joy, greet the precious baby boy,
When our Emmanuel comes.
When will the little King come?

Will He come like a breath of spring while the flowers are blossoming?
Will He come on a summer day while the children are at play?

When will the little King come?…

Will He come when the air grows cold while the leaves turn to red and gold?
Will He come on a winter night while the stars are shining bright?

When will the little King come?
When will we see God’s Son?
We will sing and shout for joy, greet the precious baby boy,
When our Emmanuel comes.
When will the little King come?
When will the little King come?”

Today’s anthem is by Ruth Elain Schram and expresses our great expectation of a Messiah who will bring hope, peace, joy and love. It was written in 1990.

“May the Spirit of the Christ Child”

“May the Spirit of the Christ Child show us how in love to live
For the joy and peace of Christmas is for us to share and give.
May the story of God’s coming, God with us – Emmanuel,
Fill the world with light of Christmas as in awe we do God’s will.”

Our offering response for the season of Advent uses the familiar melody of ODE TO JOY. Through the words, we are reminded that it is our response and action that brings about God’s kingdom in the world.

“Go, Tell it on the Mountain” (VU #43)

“Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light…

The shepherds feared and trembled when lo, above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Saviour’s birth!…

Down in a lonely manger the humble Christ was born,
And God sent our salvation that blessed Christmas morn…”

Due to music being passed in the oral tradition by southern slaves, the author of this song remains unknown.  The song was known to have been sung by African American slaves since as far back as at least 1865.  Given oral tradition, the wording of African American spirituals varies from version to version and, given the dialects of the spirituals in their original form, even the spelling of words.  The words are a retelling of the Christmas story with a commissioning to go out and tell the Good News of Jesus’ birth.

See Dolly Parton sing the carol in her classic Christmas special at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3nPFUh4j2OM

Sing along with Starfield at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGs0mJco9lk&feature=player_detailpage

“You Shall Go Out with Joy” (VU #884)

“You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth before you,
There’ll be shouts of joy, and all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands!

And all the trees of the field with clap their hands,
The trees of the field will clap their hands,
The trees of the field will clap their hands
While you go out with joy!”

Our benediction response this week uses the words from Isaiah 55:12.  If was written by Steffi G. Rubin and Stuart Dauermann in 1975.

Read a blog post about this passage at:  https://www.gcu.edu/blog/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-go-out-joy-and-be-led-forth-peace

Bonus Videos: