Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 28

o God with Us, Come!
poetiC meditAtions by dr. Jill peláez bAUmGAertner,   
the deAn oF hUmAnities And theoloGiCAl stUdies ,   
meld with the prAyers And A hymn oF the ChUrCh   
lonG pAst, to en riCh perso nAl , FAmily, And 
Co n GreGAtio nAl worship dUrinG todAy ’ s seAson   

the First Antiphon

o wisdom, proceeding from
the mouth of the Most High,
pervading and permeating all
creation, mightily ordering
all things: come and teach us the
way of prudence.

oF Advent.

the  meditAtion

p

t Christmastime we sing “O Come, O Come,
Emmanuel,” in joyful expectation of the birth of our
Lord Jesus Christ. This beloved hymn is the translation by
John Mason Neale (1818-1866) of a 12th-century Latin
hymn based on the “Great O Antiphons,” seven brief prayers
of the ancient church.
The precise origin of the O Antiphons is unknown, but
their antiphonal, or responsive, nature has given them a
place in liturgical church settings for centuries, particularly
in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions.
The seven “Great O Antiphons” are intended for use during
the final seven days of Advent (December 18-24). Each
prayer addresses Christ the Messiah with a different Old
Testament name that shows various facets of his Person and
work: O Wisdom, O Adonai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David,
O Dayspring, O King of the Nations, O Emmanuel. The
sequence of the Antiphons progresses from Creation, through
messianic prophecies, to the birth of Christ.
Our hope is that these words would add to your worship
and sense of wonder during the last seven days of Advent,
as you celebrate the Incarnation of Christ the Lord and
joyously anticipate his Second Coming.

rudence is not a word
we love. It inhibits our choice.
We prefer the allure of tinsel
and artifice, the relentless
tug toward the flesh
of a paltry beauty.

And we inhabit a planet
of uncertainty.
Who is the friend
and where the enemy,
as we are pulled
this way and that?
We extend our hand
or should we fight
instead?

Now Wisdom speaks,
parsing, separating,
reordering, steering us
from quicksand’s brink,
the enfleshed Word
steady on firm terrain.
We balance there
between yes and no.

We await him.
Come, Lord Jesus.

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