O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is the perfect Advent hymn. It is a “moody” hymn . . . a “dark” hymn . . . a lonely hymn . . . that reflects the theme of longing for something better . . . a more perfect world. It is an excellent example of what 12th century “blues” might have been like if they had had the blues back then. It is the one hymn I believe should be sung every year on the first Sunday of Advent despite the moans and groans of the congregation as it is trudged through. It is a hymn I believe should be sung to start every Christmas Eve service as its sad words hope for that which is celebrated by the end of the service.
O come, O come, Emmanuel.
and ransom captive Israel,
that morns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee,
O Israel!
Not quite the catchy, peppy tunes we associate with the holiday seasons, especially Christmas . . . but, hey! We aren’t in Christmas. We are in the midst of Advent . . . a season of longing, waiting, and great anticipation! We are in the midst of the “blues”. The “blues” is a secular folk music created by African Americans in the early 20th century, primarily in the south. It is a music that captured the suffering, anguish—and hopes—of 300 years of slavery and tenant farming. It is signified with longing, anguish, and deep-seated hope born out of oppression, injustice, and discrimination. The “blues” perfectly fits Advent in its theme and should be given its due course in the liturgical year of the church.
So, how are we to celebrate . . . or should I say, trudge through the season of Advent? Well, we are to rejoice in the blues!
This morning we heard a part of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica. Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. The tone of the letter is friendly. It would seem that Paul is pleased with the way that the church there is living their lives as followers of Jesus. The letter recognizes and affirms that they are on the right path . . . that they are good role models. Yet, he acknowledges that even though they are people of strong faith there are issues that they are dealing with.
The biggest question they struggled with had to do with the second coming of Jesus. As the first generation they recall Jesus’ declaration of the end time and the comforting news that “this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” (Matthew 13:30) They wonder what will happen to their loved ones who have died. The end time has not yet arrived, Jesus has not returned, yet members of “this generation” are passing away. As they walk to the burials of their mothers and fathers, husbands and wives; standing before the graves of the faithful, they wonder if Jesus has forsaken them. How can they rejoice in the Lord in the midst of their grieving? How could they trust and believe when people were dying?
These were hard times and the people of God were struggling.
Of course, the apostle attempts to quell their fears. He tells the people that the departed faithful will be among the first to be raised by God when that day comes . . . they will not be left behind. On that day Paul tells them: “For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) He also tells them that in hard times they are to “rejoice”.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” proclaims the apostle. The people are to “rejoice” . . . always “rejoice.” Rejoicing is not saved for a particular time or place but is to be embraced always wherever the people are . . . in good or bad times. The people are to rejoice. It is not easy to follow Jesus. The apostle keeps it simple . . . rejoice, pray, and give thanks.
These are “hard times” that we are dealing with. The COVID-19 virus is still running rampant and turning our world upside down. We are still struggling through divisive times politically, socially, and culturally. Our economy is still a great big question mark. And, since Thanksgiving Day we have entered the holiday seasons . . . a stressful and anxiety laden time that raises the rate of depression across the world. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect scenario for the “blues” I don’t know what does!
We are in the season of the “blues” . . . hard times. And, we are beginning to recognize it. More and more information comes out at this time of year to deal with the rise in anxiety and depression. Suicide hotlines see remarkable increase in use. Churches have started having “Blue Sunday” services to acknowledge those who struggle through the holiday seasons and to offer them hope. Even in our own congregation we have come to see the “blues” in this season we call Advent. Our liturgical vestments are no longer the traditional purple but blue.
The age-old question remains, how do we rejoice in the Lord in such times as these? How do we trust and believe in hard times?
Simply, as the apostle tells those in Thessalonica and us. We are to rejoice in the blues. The apostle tells us to: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We are to rejoice in everything . . . the good, the bad . . . the happy and sad . . . in all that life offers, we are to rejoice. Rejoice because we are not alone, God is with us. God never abandons us.
We are to pray continually. Prayer is bringing ourselves into the presence and awareness of God . . . of the Holy. Prayer is entering into that intimacy of our relationship with God. Prayer is us acknowledging the presence of the Holy . . . listening to God . . . and embracing that intimate love and grace God showers upon us.
We are to give thanks in all circumstances . . . to remember to be grateful for God, for others, for the lessons we learn, for the blessings we receive. We are to have grateful hearts for even in the hard times . . . God is with us.
Paul is admonishing the readers of his letter to remember what is important and what counts . . . our relationship with God. That is what is important. That is what gives us strength to rejoice in the “blues”. If we can do this, says the apostle, then we will discover God’s blessing in our struggles. Paul writes: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
In time we will exit the season of the blues and enter once again into the joy of Christmas. But in the meantime, we are dealing with the “blues” . . . and we should rejoice. Let us appreciate the “blues” for they are a part of our relationship with God . . . with the Holy. As always, these too shall pass. As those “blues” composers said so long ago in the 12th century:
O come, thou Dayspring, come
and cheer our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and cause death’s deep shadows put to flight.
Rejoice, rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee,
O Israel!
Rejoice . . . God is with us! Amen!
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