Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.

One of my favorite Advent hymns isn’t an Advent hymn. Laurentius Laurenti wrote “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers” for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Trinity (old lectionary) which had as its Gospel the story of the wise and foolish maidens. Ten young women are waiting for the wedding banquet to start. Five (the wise) bring extra oil for their lamps and five (the foolish) don’t. When the lamps run low the foolish maidens have to run to the store for more and miss out on the party.

The story is a parable for the second coming of the Lord. Some people aren’t prepared. That theme has the potential to be used to scare people into doing the right thing OR ELSE. Laurenti’s hymn takes a different approach. The coming of Christ is a cause for rejoicing. The hymn even begs for him to come.

Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.

I have never know a child who didn’t long for the coming of Christmas. I have known too many adults who moan and groan about Christmas. The kids have got it right. This is a time for joyful anticipation.

Get ready everybody. Christ is coming. Rejoice! Rejoice!

Read Matthew 25:1-13 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Originally posted on December 21, 2017