Savior of the Nations, Come
We begin Advent now and it is the beginning of the church year. Yet we are at the ending of our secular year, the ending of Fr. Nick’s time as our rector. It is in many ways, both sacred and secular, a time of turmoil, beginning, endings, expectation, yearning, and hope.
So many advent hymns express these feelings, so many look for hope, for the savior to come. Hymn 54–“Savior of the nations, come”, is one of Martin Luther’s earliest hymns, written in 1523. Many, many organ compositions are based on this tune—last Sunday I played four of them. The text is wonderful, full of yearning and hope and fulfillment.
Savior of the nations, come!
Virgin’s son, make here your home.
Marvel now, both heaven and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
Wondrous birth! Oh, wondrous child
Of the virgin undefiled!
Mighty God and Mary’s son,
Eager now his race to run!
Thus on earth the Word appears,
Gracing his created spheres;
Hence to death and hell descends,
Then the heavenly throne ascends.
Come, O Father’s saving Son,
Who o’er sin the victory won.
Boundless shall your kingdom be;
Grant that we its glories see.
There are a number of advent hymns in this vein—hymn 55–Veni redemptor gentium ( “Redeemer of the nations come”). It concludes with such a hopeful verse 5:
Your cradle shines with glory’s light;
Its splendor pierces all our gloom.
Our faith reflects those radiant beams;
No night shall overcome it now.
The hymn we all know best—hymn 56–“O come, O come Emmanuel” is similar in its yearning for the savior. O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel—and ending with the refrain Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Finally, of all the “O come” hymns, the one most of us grew up on is hymn 66–“Come thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free”.
There is light at the end of the darkness, and hope of new beginnings.
Lynn H. Gardner
Organist/Choirmaster
