“O Come, All Ye Faithful” (ELW 283)
1 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and behold him, born the king of angels:
Refrain
O come, let us adore him,O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!
(Venite adoremus, venite adoremus, venite adoremus
Dominum)
2 The highest, most holy, light of light eternal, born of a virgin, a mortal he comes;
Son of the Father now in flesh appearing!
Refrain
3 Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God in the highest:
Refrain
4 Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory giv’n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
Refrain
Devotion
I recall along with my wife staring into the newborn faces of our children and then grandchildren. In sheer awe we marveled over their features and pondered their futures. We wondered who they took after most. Mostly, we adored them. We still do of course. Such adoration is more than mere liking or fondness. It is to love with all one’s heart. It is totally and unabashedly to give oneself over to utter joy at the very thought of them. Jesus’ birth is “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.” Jesus takes after God, is God. We know now what his future held and what he did for us out of sheer love. Through his life, death, and resurrection we are made citizens of God’s forever kingdom. Note the first line of this favorite carol—in this newborn King, you and I are made joyful and triumphant! Therefore we come to adore him, Christ our Lord!
Prayer
Yea, Lord, we greet thee! Hearing again of your birth as if for the first time, we worship you with total adoration. Give us courage to share the good news of your coming so others may also participate in your joy. Amen.