The Great "O" Antiphons

December 23
O Emmanuel, our king and our Lord,
the anointed for the nations and
their Savior:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

The Great "O" Antiphons

December 22
O King of the nations, the ruler
they long for, the cornerstone
uniting all people:
Come and save us all,
whom You formed out of clay.

The Great "O" Antiphons

December 21
O Dayspring, splendor of light
everlasting:
Come and enlighten those who sit
in darkness and in the shadow
of death.

The Great "O" Antiphons

December 20
O Key of David and scepter of the
house of Israel, You open and no one
can close, You close and no one
can open:
Come and rescue prisoners who
are in darkness and the shadow
of death.

The Great "O" Antiphons

December 19
O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign
before the peoples, before whom all
kings are mute, to whom the nations
will do homage:
Come quickly to deliver us.

The Great "O" Antiphons

December 18
O Adonai and ruler of the house of
Israel, who appeared to Moses in
the burning bush and gave him the
Law on Sinai:
Come with an outstretched arm
and redeem us.

The Great "O" Antiphons

December 17
O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth
of the Most High, pervading and
permeating all creation, mightily
ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way
of prudence.

These seven ancient antiphons are the series upon which the hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is based upon. They were used at Vespers during the last Seven days of Advent. They are found in the Lutheran Service Book 357. Thank you to Pastor Weedon for the idea.

All Saint's Day

Today is the day in the church year when much of Christendom commemorates those who have fallen asleep in Jesus (1 Thess. 4:13-18) in the past year as well as those for whom we still mourn even after years. This was the festival upon which Dr. Martin Luther's 95 Thesis' were first read. After all, he nailed them to the church door in Wittenburg on the eve of this festival. We now have commemorated that event with a festival of its own. We call it, Reformation Day. On that day, we celebrate that God, through His servant Martin Luther, gave His church back the pure unadultarated gospel of free salvation for all mankind (Rom. 3:19-28).

So today, it is fitting that we now remember those who sleep in Jesus. 'These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb' (Rev. 7:14).

A Blessed Holy Cross Day to you all!

This feast day during the church year has always intrigued me. It is one of the few days we celebrate as Lutherans that is not based on an event in the life of Christ, one of the Apostles or another of the Biblical saints.

It may not seem a good opportunity to celebrate our life in Christ and the great blessings we have because of His sacrifice, since the focus is on a hunk of wood, yet that is what today is. This is why the Lutheran reformers kept this day. It was originally celebrated as the date on which the original cross of Jesus was found on September 14, 320, in Jerusalem.

We as Lutherans now celebrate it because through the cross we can focus on the great sacrifice given once for all by Christ Jesus at His crucifixion. It was in that event and His subsequent resurrection that all men were given forgiveness of sins, salvation from sin death and the devil, and everlasting life. This is the heart and pivot of the Christian faith. This is the reason that Martin Luther and the other Lutheran reformers kept this feast day.

Psalm 98
Isaiah 45:21-25
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
St. John 12:20-33

'God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ,
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.' (Colossians 1:19-20)

Merciful and everlasting God, you did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all that He might bear our sins on the cross. Grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we may not fear the power of any adversaries; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Alleluia. Alleluia. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia. (Galatians 6:14a)