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.

Ann Voskamp

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