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Saturday, December 1, 2018

With Faces Turned From Fear...Advent Hymn

And I’m telling you: When we dash one person’s light — we dash a world of light,
 because we tend to pass on our pain, instead of passing the peace.


Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: 
for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; 
he also is become my salvation.
Isa.12:2
...and here Hope begins!

The Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” 
perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming,
the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming
and in expectation of the second coming in the future. 
excerpt from What is Advent



With faces turned from fear
To Bethlehem they sped
There shepherds beheld Hope so dear
Laid in a manger-bed

With faces turned from fear
Repentance and belief
Bestow the joy of Jesus here
To comfort pain-shame-grief

With faces turned from fear
To Bethlehem we turn
Where hope abides to gently cheer
And grant what none can earn

With faces turned from fear
Toward Hope’s glorious Light
Salvation sweetens sorrow's tear
Until faith becomes sight  

With faces turned from fear
Though evil’s army seethes
It cannot conquer Peace so near
That Hope in God bequeaths

With faces turned from fear
Toward Hope’s glorious Door
‘til Jesus Christ will re-appear
And reign forevermore

© Janet Martin



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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!