Our pastor is preaching on the scriptural background for four Christmas hymns during this season; today’s hymn was O Come O Come Emmanuel. The hymn for next Sunday’s sermon is the following one which has become a favorite of mine since we started going to this particular church about four years ago.
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
The words to this hymn are taken from a prayer written in the fourth century, used by the Orthodox church in Constantinople and still recited by Orthodox Christians to this day. The tune, called Picardy, is based on a French carol melody and harmonized by Ralph Vaughn Williams. You can listen and learn more about the hymn here.
My plan for us in our homeschool is to sing the song each morning this week and so learn it before our pastor preaches on it next Sunday.
I love this hymn. Have you heard Fernando Ortega’s gorgeous recording of it on his Christmas album this year? I had it on repeat for days in my car. 🙂