This traditional Advent hymn is our gathering piece in the season of Advent. \u00a0We sing it with the song leader leading the congregation in echoing each phrase.<\/p>\n
We sing a version with updated lyrics by Philip Cunningham and Ken Meltz<\/p>\n
O come, O come, Emmanuel
\nAnd with your people always dwell
\nWho mourn in mortal exile here
\nUntil the Lord of Life appear
\n(Chorus) Rejoice, rejoice
\nEmmanuel shall come again and with us ever dwell<\/p>\n
O come, Redeemer of the slave
\nThe shackled Hebrews you did save
\nAnd then your covenant was sealed
\nThe Torah on the Mount revealed
\n(Chorus)<\/p>\n
O come, O God\u2019s revealing Word
\nYour voice the Hebrew prophets heard
\nThey sw that one day war will cease
\nAnd all creation be at peace
\n(Chorus)<\/p>\n
O come, O Wisdom from on high
\nWho bring the truth of Adonai
\nTo us the path of knowledge show
\nAnd teach us in your ways to go
\n(Chorus)<\/p>\n
O come, Incarnate Word revealed
\nYour people you both taught and healed
\nYou trusted Abba\u2019s love would save
\nAnd so were raised up from the grave
\n(Chorus)<\/p>\n
O come, O Lamb of God who was slain O come, O Bread of Heav’n sublime Here’s a teaching recording of the melody<\/a>, but with older lyrics which we no longer use.<\/p>\n Here is the sheet music with the updated lyrics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Because many people are habituated to the older lyrics, when leading the song, introduce it by saying “you may be familiar\u00a0with this tune, but these words will be different. so listen carefully and echo me.”<\/p>\n A further note on the updated the lyrics:<\/p>\n O Come, O Come, Emmanuel<\/em> is a beloved hymn, yet with a growing sensitivity to the ways Christianity embodies antisemitic theologies in its traditional prayers and hymns and even it scriptures, vigilance requires revision of problematic texts. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel<\/em> is one of those. In short, the hymn\u2019s more-or-less traditional lyrics (though there are variations) are pretty well summed up by an outdated and problematic understanding of the relationship of the New Testament to the Old Testament, and therefore also of the Church to Israel: The Old Testament was understood to have spiritual validity only when read in reference to Christ and the Church, and Israel was seen as spiritually valid only as the precursor to Christianity. Read more about this here (under Educational Resources > Advent resources)<\/a>, and look forward to a thoughtfully revised version of this beloved hymn each week during Advent. Thanks especially to the Rev’d Liz Edman for pressing this issue.<\/p>\n \n Click here to listen to O Come O Come Emmanuel<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nYou underwent our human pain
\nDispel our fear of endless night
\nAnd death\u2019s dark shadows put to flight
\n(Chorus)<\/span><\/p>\n
\nWho come to us in bread and wine
\nStill sacraments will one day cease
\nIn God\u2019s eternal reign of peace
\n(Chorus)<\/p>\n