Advent 2023
What is Advent?
Advent is a season of the Church Calendar, beginning four Sundays before Christmas and ending Christmas Day. Advent means "arrival" and is tied to the arrival of Christ in human flesh and His second coming. It is a season of meditating on the coming of Jesus as a baby in a manger 2,000 years ago and also a season of leaning into waiting on His second coming. The four themes of Advent are hope, joy, peace, and love.
O'Antiphons?
The Vineyard is a very young movement. So we need rhythms and practices that root us in church history and tradition. One ancient Advent tradition is singing and praying the O'Antiphons.
The O’Antiphons are a set of songs, dating back to at least the 8th Century. Each of the seven choruses is based on an Old Testament image of the Messiah. They tap into the Old Testament expectations of what the coming of the Messiah will be like.
Reflecting on the Antiphons allows us to enter into the expectant waiting of the people of God for the coming of the Messiah so many centuries ago. They can also be a companion to us in our waiting for the return of Jesus and the coming of His Kingdom in all its fullness.
Each song begins with the poetic “O”, tapping into the deep yearning and longing of our hearts that is only satisfied in the coming of our Savior and King.
The Antiphons call to Jesus using names from Scripture: O Wisdom! O Adonai! O Root of Jesse! O Key of David! O Morning Star! O King of Nations! O Emmanuel!
In some Church traditions, the O'Antiphons are read and prayed in the week leading up to Christmas Eve (Dec. 17-23), but you could pray them throughout your Advent journey.
Join us on Sunday mornings in December as we explore the O'Antiphons and allow them to draw us into the waiting and longing for Christ's arrival.
The O’Antiphons are a set of songs, dating back to at least the 8th Century. Each of the seven choruses is based on an Old Testament image of the Messiah. They tap into the Old Testament expectations of what the coming of the Messiah will be like.
Reflecting on the Antiphons allows us to enter into the expectant waiting of the people of God for the coming of the Messiah so many centuries ago. They can also be a companion to us in our waiting for the return of Jesus and the coming of His Kingdom in all its fullness.
Each song begins with the poetic “O”, tapping into the deep yearning and longing of our hearts that is only satisfied in the coming of our Savior and King.
The Antiphons call to Jesus using names from Scripture: O Wisdom! O Adonai! O Root of Jesse! O Key of David! O Morning Star! O King of Nations! O Emmanuel!
In some Church traditions, the O'Antiphons are read and prayed in the week leading up to Christmas Eve (Dec. 17-23), but you could pray them throughout your Advent journey.
Join us on Sunday mornings in December as we explore the O'Antiphons and allow them to draw us into the waiting and longing for Christ's arrival.
Devotionals
Sound familiar?
If you think the Antiphons sound familiar, you’re right. The Advent hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is a synthesis of the Antiphons. If you listen to the full song, you will hear each Antiphon.