O Come, Branch of Jesse

Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 19 we continue our Advent-Christmas Series "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" based on the hymn of the same title with "O Come, Branch of Jesse."  Services start at 7:30PM (also 7:30PM on Thursday, December 20 at Trinity Lutheran in Elgin).

The youth will serve supper from 5:30-7:00 as a fundraiser, please support them.

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse's tree,
Free them from Satan's tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow'r to save,
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!

The theme of this Advent–Christmas season is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” derived from both the popular hymn.  The popular version, translated by the Rev. John Mason Neale in rhymed poetry, often departs from the original Latin.  Traditionally, one antiphon was chanted on each of the seven days before Christmas.  The antiphons generally derive from the prophecies of Isaiah and follow a rough chronology through history until the coming of Emmanuel, Hebrew for "God [is] with Us" (see Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)