Fling Wide the Door (ELW 259, focus on verse 3)
1 Fling wide the door, unbar the gate;
the King of glory comes in state;
the Lord of lords and King of kings,
the Savior of the world who brings
his great salvation to the earth.
So raise a shout of holy mirth
and praise our God and Lord,
Creator, Spirit, Word.
2 He is the rock of our belief,
the heart of mercy’s gentle self.
His kingly crown is holiness;
his scepter is his loveliness;
he brings our sorrows to an end.
Now gladly praise our king and friend,
and worship him with song
for saving us from wrong.
3 Oh, happy towns and blessed lands
that live by their true king’s commands.
And blessed be the hearts he rules,
the humble places where he dwells.
He is the rightful Son of bliss
who fills our lives and makes us his,
creator of the world,
our only strength for good.
4 Come, Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ;
our hearts are open wide in trust.
Oh, show us now your lovely grace,
upon our sorrows shine your face,
and let your Holy Spirit guide
our journey in your grace so wide.
We praise your holy name,
from age to age the same!
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590-1635; tr. Gracia Grindal, b. 1943
Text © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.
Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A730924
Devotion
Advent for our family has become a season for special rhythms that invite us deeper into a practice of joy and reflection. After dinner we gather in our living room in pajamas and light a candle, a reminder that God is with us. Standing hand-in-hand, each of us shares something we are grateful for that day. We say a short prayer and the girls run with glee to the Advent calendar, eager to see what goodies await hidden in the windows of our countdown to Christmas.
Last year, we added a second Advent calendar, this one containing small slips of paper with the names of people in our lives, many of whom we don’t see very often. The girls took turns pulling a name out, and together we made a one-minute video wishing that person a happy Advent and telling them how much we loved them. The practice was as much a blessing to us as it was to those we remembered, a “humble place” where Jesus dwells in and through this precious period of anticipation.
Prayer
Dear God, in this season of your humble rule, fill our lives and make us yours and strengthen us for good. In your joy and bliss we pray, Amen.