Welcome to Advent 2019!
This Sunday, December 1, is the first Sunday of Advent 2019 and the beginning of our Joy to the World Advent worship series. Because 2019 is also the 300th anniversary of the beloved classic hymn, “Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts, we’ve chosen Joy to the World as our Advent theme this year that you’ll find laced through worship, music, studies, events and activities for the whole family.
Here’s a quick overview of the season from Dr. Tim Bruster, Senior Pastor. We hope you’ll join us for any or all of the wonderful programs, worship experiences, and special events of this meaningful season in the life of our faith community.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
let earth receive her King;
let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns:
let men their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Isaac Watts was a 17th century English Christian minister, hymn writer, theologian, and prolific and popular hymn writer recognized as the “Godfather of English Hymnody.” Watts’ work, well-known around the world for the past three centuries, includes more than 800 hymns, many of them designed to be sung following his sermons to give expression to the meaning of the text upon which he had preached.
“Joy to the World” is one of these — and one of Watt’s most popular hymns. It was written in 1719 employing the “Antioch” melody by George Frideric Handel to bring such life to Watts’ lyrics that this timeless work, as of the late 20th century, was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.
In pairing Watts’ lyrics with specific passages of scripture, this First Church Advent experience explores a different refraction of Joy each Sunday of Advent:
December 1 we celebrate the Hope we realize through preparation in “Prepare Him Room: Hopeful Joy.”
December 8 we celebrate the Love expressed in song with “Repeat the Sounding Joy: Loving Joy” and Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo.
December 15 we celebrate the Joy that overflows with “Make the Blessings Flow: Unabashed Joy,”
December 22 we celebrate the Peace that brings people, nations, and our world together in “Make the Nations Prove: Peaceful Joy.”
On December 24, Christmas Eve, we culminate this Advent worship series with “The Lord is Come: Incarnate Joy,” receiving Christ at the center to experience the deep Joy of the Good News of Christmas.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let every heart prepare Him room!
Click on the button below to view all the Advent 2019 opportunities to fill your Health Plate with Advent Discipleship throughout this festive season!
