Catching The Wave Of Hope

by Roslyn Catracchia, Director of Worship

It hit me on Sunday like a lovely wave. HOPE! A wave of heavenly hope! It was the first Sunday of Advent, and I had been doing so much work rehearsing and preparing for the day that I hadn’t had time to really let it sink in. How ridiculous is that?! But on Sunday, it sank deep in my soul in many ways. From the beautifully decorated campus, to each song we sang, to the wonderful testimony Johanna gave, and in the silence as she lit the first candle on the Advent wreath, and then Chris Pan’s message! So filled with hope! 

I’ve thought about the words Chris spoke many times since then, how he taught us that “Advent is the few weeks leading up to Christmas where we expectantly wait for the arrival of Jesus.” He read from 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.”

On Sunday, more people were back at church, in person on campus, and it was SO GOOD to see people face to face in 3D! Not just on Zoom or on a screen, but face to face! As I was reading Chris’ preaching notes early on, I was excited to ask Joy to sing the prelude called You’re Here, remembering these lyrics of the song….

“You’re here, I’m holding You so near,
I’m staring into the face of my Savior, King and Creator.
You could’ve left us on our own, but You’re here”

The lyrics are from the perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus, looking into the face of her Son over 2,000 years ago. And now, 2,000 years later, we are still celebrating the arrival of her Son in countless ways. And one of the best ways that helps me to remember is through the gift of song. 

A song we are all familiar with was “born” in a monastery 1,200 years ago, in the 8th or 9th century. In 1851, the text was combined with the tune we are all probably most familiar with called Veni Emmanuel. I found the information in Wikipedia; hope it’s true! BUT the point I’m trying to make is that time is passing! 2,000 years! 1,200 years! And I remember Christmas and Advent from last year like it was yesterday. This year has passed in the blink of an eye. 

One of the very special things I remember from last year at this time was a video that Shayna Kusumoto created for us all, with Christina Souza singing the story to us all, and an awesome surfer riding freely in on a wave. Well, I certainly can’t surf anymore, but this past Sunday I did catch that wave of hope! And my heart is still filled to overflowing. 

Here are the lyrics to the song and the link to the video in case you’d like to remember Advent from a year ago, or 2,000 years ago, or for the first time☺ 

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,
And order all things far and nigh.
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to ransom us all. Thank You for coming and bringing light into our darkness. Thank You for the traditions You have given us to help us to remember You! During this Advent season, give us ears to hear and eyes to see more of You. Amen

Share this with a friend.