Our Advent Hymn

This month we're singing "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" each morning. It's a beautiful song...and easy to learn, with only two stanzas. 

Come, thou long expected Jesus,

born to set thy people free; 

from our fears and sins release us,

let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth thou art; 

dear desire of every nation,

joy of every longing heart.

Born they people to deliver,

born a child and yet a King,

born to reign in us forever, 

now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit

rule in our all our hearts alone;

by thine all sufficient merit

raise us to the glorious throne.

We are reading through the Bible and yesterday we read the story of Abraham and Isaac.  It's always a tough one to read, but Finn gets it: the only, beloved son of a loving and devoted father, forced to carry a bundle of sticks on his back up to the place where he would be sacrificed.....I asked Finn "who does that sound like?"  And he knew.  

We read God's promise to Abraham that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed. How? I asked Finn.  He got it: because Jesus was descended from Abraham, and Jesus came for the entire world: every person of every race and every nationality on earth.  And then we sang the hymn that echoes this ancient blessing: dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

I don't orchestrate these intersections; they just happen naturally.  But they make me happy.