By Pastor Rod Green, Associate Pastor

December at VCN is always a busy, joyful, and meaningful month. The focus of the month is Advent…the season of anticipation and preparation for God to become king. Jesus was born and grew up telling us about the kingdom of God, which is mysteriously near but also here all at the same time. The celebration of Christmas is the miracle of Jesus, the Word of God present at creation, emptying himself to be born under occupation to a simple couple from a despised town distant from the holy city of Jerusalem. “The world turned upside down,” to borrow a phrase from an 18th-century British tune.

Each Sunday in December up until Christmas we will light a candle from the advent wreath. The advent readings this year were written by John Haines, a retired Nazarene missionary who served in the Eurasia Region as Theological Education Coordinator. John has incorporated two Charles Wesley hymns written around 1745 in our readings. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus is a familiar hymn we sing together every year. The other hymn is Join, All Ye Joyful Nations, which will be used as a congregational response. In case you want to practice, here are the words to this hymn, which so vividly expresses the amazing aspects of Jesus’ birth:

Join all ye joyful nations
The acclaiming hosts of Heav’n!
This happy morn a child is born
To us a son is given.

The messenger and token
Of eternal favor,
God hath sent down to us His Son,
A universal Savior!

The wonderful Messiah,
Joy of every nation,
Jesus His name, with God the fame,
The Lord of all creation.

The counselor of sinners,
Mighty to deliver,
The Prince of Peace, whole love’s increase,
Shall reign in Man forever.

Go see the King of glory,
Seek the heavenly stranger,
So poor and mean, His court an inn,
His cradle is a manger.

Who from His father’s bosom
Now for us descended
Who built the skies, on earth He lies,
By only beasts attended.

Whom all the angels worship,
Hid in human nature;
Incarnate see the deity,
The infinite creator!

See the stupendous blessing
God to us hath given!
A child of man, in length a span,
Who fills both earth and Heaven.

Gaze on that helpless object,
Endless adoration!
Those infant hands shall burst our bands,
And work out our salvation.

Strangle the crooked serpent,
Burn his works forever,
And open set the heavenly gate
To every true believer.

Till then, Thou holy Jesus,
We bow low before Thee,
Our treasures bring, to serve our king,
And joyfully adore Thee.

To Thee we gladly render,
What Thy grace hath given,
Till Thou appear in glory here,
And take us up to Heaven

It will be interesting to see if we can recite these verses without stumbling on the words, but more importantly, I hope we can cherish the sentiment in our hearts and grow in devotion to Christ our King.