Thursday, December 1

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Do you enjoy singing Christmas carols? I certainly do! And childhood memories in church with my family, singing carols in many choirs, and carolling door to door with church groups (Explorers, C.G.I.T., Young Peoples) all bring feelings of warmth and joy!

This carol above (O Come, O Come Emmanuel) was originally written in Latin during the 12th century. John Neale (England, 1860s) made it accessible to us by translating it into English. Sung in Advent, the carol anticipates the first coming of Christ to earth. The old term “Dayspring” can be translated as “the rising sun” and is a metaphor for the coming or birth of Jesus, “Emmanuel”.

Hunger, poverty, sickness, greed, materialism, war, and natural disasters of our current world feel like the “gloomy cloud of night”, as sung in this carol. But we can welcome Jesus, the babe, once again! The hope and joy that He brings can “put to flight” these “dark shadows”. So let us sing this wonderful old carol and “Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come!”

Prayer: Dear Lord, as we listen to carols and raise our voices in song in anticipation of Your coming, the “Dayspring” of our challenged world, may we experience in our lives the joy, hope, and love that You bring. Amen.

- Susan Colquhoun