Dear Incarnation,
We're in the final stretch of Advent, the last week before the Feast of the Incarnation (aka, Christmas, aka, our church's namesake!). For the past 1300+ years, churches have prayed the "O Antiphons" during these final seven days of Advent. This is one of those church traditions I've known about for years but never really explored until now; selecting the artwork for this Sunday's service led me down a rabbit hole of O Antiphon art through the ages, and, well, here we are. (Let this be your seasonal reminder that yes indeed, I am an enneagram 5.)
An "antiphon" is a short liturgical phrase (you might think of it as a sacred sentence) that is prayed before and after a psalm or song. For example, if you pray compline in your weekly small group, then you are familiar with this antiphon prayed before and after the Song of Simeon:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
Most of the antiphons we pray in our liturgies today were developed within the first several hundred years of the church; there's evidence that many of them were already being prayed when the Nicene Creed was written. (The church history nerd in me wants us all to just pause and take that in: isn't it amazing that each time we pray an antiphon, we are participating in an unchanging act of worship with the saints through the ages?!)
The O Antiphons of Advent are seven short phrases taken from the word-pictures of the coming Messiah given by the prophets. Some reveal aspects of his divinity. Others are reminders of his humanity. All are introduced by the word "O" — an exclamation of wonderment:
O Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2)
O Lord (Exodus 6:6)
O Root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1, 10)
O Key of David (Isaiah 22:22)
O Dayspring (Isaiah 9:2)
O Desire of Nations (Jeremiah 10:7)
O Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14)
Traditionally, on the seven days from December 17-23, the church prays one antiphon before and after the Song of Mary (the Magnificat) in Evening Prayer. Then on Christmas Eve (the eighth day), we pray all seven antiphons. These prayers help us hear Mary's words afresh each day, highlighting different aspects of her song and deepening our longing for the God who is soon coming.
If you'd like to pray these antiphons, you can sing a verse each day of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (each verse is based on one antiphon), or you can speak this version of the antiphons from the Church of England. The Song of Mary can be found in Luke 1:46-55 or on page 45 of the Book of Common Prayer (part of the Evening Prayer service).
There's something so powerful about joining our voices with the ancient longing of two thousand years of God-seekers, waiting together for his coming to set the world right.
***
We will sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel as part of Sunday's Advent Lessons & Carols service with Beverley Hills United Methodist. Our relationship with Beverley Hills has been an area of surprise and joy in the latter half of this year, an unexpected resting place for our little "pilgrim church."
I wrote about how this relationship came about in my parish meeting recap (scroll down to "location changes"). Since that writing, we have continued to be blown away by the warm welcome we have received from Beverley Hills. First, they offered us their sanctuary on Christmas Eve for free. Then, when we asked for the 3 Sundays that Drew Elementary is closed, they said "yes" without skipping a beat. When we pitched the idea of a shared Lessons & Carols on the 4th Sunday of Advent, they leapt at the chance. And most recently, they offered us their usual 10am time slot on Sunday, January 5 (we'll hold our normal service, and they'll simply invite their congregation to come and worship with us).
As a pilgrim church, we've moved a lot and navigated many landlord-tenant arrangements. So I know how rare this sort of open-handed generosity can be, especially across denominational divides. Beverley Hills has been a wonderful gift, and I am so grateful for their friendship and hospitality.
Over the past few weeks, our churches have collaborated to pull together this Sunday's service in a way that reflects the strengths of both of our congregations. A shared love of beauty, liturgy, and messy reverence has guided our planning. I'm excited, delighted, and a bit nervous about how our gifts will come together on Sunday as we worship together.
Below are a few important details to note:
There is no parking lot onsite (aside from a small handicap lot next to the sanctuary). Please plan a few extra minutes to park on the street and walk. Beverley Hills tells us that there's always plenty of neighborhood parking, and that the neighbors are very easygoing — but please be respectful and don't block driveways!
All kids will worship with us in the service. We'll have worship bags for older kids and a small nook for younger kids, as well as space in the narthex to step out with children who need a break.
This service does not include the Eucharist. Consider it our final stretch of Advent waiting. We will break bread together again on Christmas Eve.
The service also does not include a sermon, just scripture and songs. It's like the Advent version of our Good Friday Tenebrae service, but in reverse. Over the course of the service, as we tell the story of God's coming, the light will slowly grow (whereas on Good Friday, the light is slowly extinguished).
There will be an organ accompanying some of the carols, and we will follow lyrics from hymnals in the pews. I'll explain how on Sunday morning. This will be new for us! I'm grateful for our church's comfort with musical experimentation; we will welcome the organ to our ever-expanding list of worship instruments (harmonica, ukulele, trombone, slide whistle . . .)!
As a church without a building, this is the time of year that our congregation is often on the move. Wearying as it may be, I'm also grateful for the ways this movement helps us live into our name — Incarnation — and the reality of a God who makes his home with us in whatever places we find ourselves. We've held Christmas services in sanctuaries, living rooms, a parking lot, and a tent. And God-With-Us was incarnate in each new place.
That's all a very theological way of saying: there's a LOT of movement over the next few weeks of worship. Please check our website for times and locations! I can't wait.
With love,
Amy
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