Merry Christmas Everyone!
Once a year I take a detour from our usual topic of leadership to plumb the theological depths of a traditional hymn.
So, if you’ll indulge me for a few minutes, let’s journey together into the majesty of one of my favorite hymns, “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Or, if you are into Latin, it’s “Adeste Fideles.”
Adeste Fideles
The consensus among music historians is that John Francis Wade wrote Adeste Fideles in 1743 and published it in 1751. Nearly a century later it was translated into English by Frederick Oakeley.
Several people added stanzas and changed the lyrics of stanzas over the years. The version we commonly sing today is pretty much the same as the original with the exception of the second stanza.
O Come All Ye Faithful
The original four stanzas of O Come All Ye Faithful are:
(1) O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
Refrain:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
(2) God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo! He abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God, Begotten, not created;
Refrain
(3) Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
"Glory to God in the highest";
Refrain
(4) Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus to Thee be glory giv'n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Refrain
Invitation to Celebration
O Come All Ye Faithful is both invitational and celebratory.
(1) The first stanza recalls the shepherds who came to worship the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, but the refrain is also a call for the singer to come and worship Jesus.
(2) The second stanza borrows heavily from the Nicene Creed. It speaks of the virgin birth and affirms Jesus is fully God and fully man, begotten, not created.
(3) The third stanza joins heaven and earth as it invites the singer to join with the angels in proclaiming the glory of God (Luke 2:14), “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”
(4) The fourth stanza is an invitation to be joyful every morning and give glory to Jesus, who is the Word of God incarnate.
I’ve sung this hymn often over the years. However, when I slow down and read these lyrics their truth and importance jump from the page into my heart.
The call of O Come All Ye Faithful is to all men and women, of all races and creeds. Let us come together as believers. We have been invited to celebrate the birth of the Son of God and Savior of the World. We are one in Christ. Amen!
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come All Ye Faithful performed by the University of Mobile Choir in their Christmas Spectacular 2012.
Adeste Fideles
Adeste Fideles performed by the incomparable Luciano Pavarotti in Montreal 1978.
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. What does O Come All Ye Faithful mean to you in your life?
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Category: Personal Development | Obedience to God
