The following is a sample day’s readings from O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Advent to Epiphany, a 40-day devotional liturgy guiding readers through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.
A Liturgy for Meditating on the Mystery of the Incarnation
Since the beginning of time, it has been God’s plan to fill heaven and earth with the praise of his name. By grace, we have been swept up into this plan through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. A liturgy of daily worship aims to help us worship God by meditating on the first coming of his Son while we wait for the second coming of his Son.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Jonathan Gibson
For individuals and families, this 40-day liturgical devotional guides readers through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany—helping Christians retain their focus on Jesus and meditate on the mystery of his incarnation.
Meditation
Reflect on these words about the incarnation of the Lord Jesus:
We preach not one advent only of Christ, but a second also, far more glorious than the former. For the former gave a view of His patience; but the latter brings with it the crown of a divine kingdom. For all things, for the most part, are twofold in our Lord Jesus Christ: a twofold generation: one of God, before the ages; and one, of a virgin, at the close of the ages; His descents twofold: one, the unobserved, like rain on a fleece; and a second, His open coming, which is to be. In His former advent, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in His second, He covers Himself with light as with a garment. In His first coming, He endured the cross, despising shame; in His second, He comes attended by a host of angels, receiving glory. We rest not upon His first advent only, but look also for His second. And as at His first coming, we said, “Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord,” so will we repeat the same at His second coming; that when with angels we meet our Master, we may worship Him and say, “Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord.”
Cyril of Jerusalem
Call to Worship
Hear God call you to worship through his word:
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that
he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9
Adoration
Say or sing the words of this Advent hymn:
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Joy to those who long to see Thee,
Dayspring from on high, appear.
Come, Thou promised Rod of Jesse,
Of Thy birth, we long to hear!
O’er the hills the angels singing
News, glad tidings of a birth;
“Go to Him your praises bringing
Christ the Lord has come to earth!”
Come to earth to taste our sadness,
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life He brings us gladness,
Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number,
Born within a cattle stall;
This the everlasting wonder,
Christ was born the Lord of all.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Charles Wesley
Reading of the Law
Hear God’s law as his will for your life:
The words of our Lord Jesus Christ:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first
commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend
all the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 22:37–40
Confession of Sin
Confess your sins to God:
Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden—
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
so that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer (1552)
Assurance of Pardon
Receive these words of comfort from God:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28–30
Apostles’ Creed
Confess what you believe about the Christian faith:
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate;
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Say or sing this praise to God:
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Catechism
Receive this instruction from the Heidelberg Catechism:
Q. 12. According to God’s righteous judgment we deserve punishment
both now and in eternity: how then can we escape this punishment and
return to God’s favor?
A. God requires that his justice be satisfied. Therefore the
claims of this justice must be paid in full, either by ourselves
or by another.
Q. 13. Can we make this payment ourselves?
A. Certainly not. Actually, we increase our debt every day.
Prayer for Illumination
As you read his word, ask God to enlighten your mind and heart:
Merciful Lord, the comforter and teacher of your faithful people, increase in your church the desires which you have given, and confirm the hearts of those who hope in you by enabling them to understand the depth of your promises, that all of your adopted sons may even now behold, with the eyes of faith, and patiently wait for, the light which as
yet you do not openly manifest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ambrose
Scripture Reading
Read this portion of God’s word: Genesis 3:1–15
Praise
Say or sing this praise to God:
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming,
From tender stem has sprung.
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary, we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
O Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispel with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death now save us,
And share our every load.
O Savior, Child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe;
O Savior, King of Glory,
Who does our weakness know,
Bring us at length we pray,
To the bright courts of Heaven
And to the endless day.
Anonymous
Prayer of Intercession
As you make your requests to God, pray this prayer:
Almighty God, give us grace, that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer (1552)
Further Petition
- Personal
- Church
- World
Lord’s Prayer
Pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen.
Benediction
Receive by faith this blessing from God:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace. Numbers 6:24–26
Postlude
In closing, say or sing this praise to God:
His Name for ever shall endure,
last like the sun it shall;
Men shall be blessed in Him, and blessed
all nations shall Him call.
Now blessèd be the Lord, our God,
the God of Israel,
For He alone does wondrous works,
in glory that excel.
And blessèd be His glorious Name
to all eternity;
The whole earth let His glory fill.
Amen, so let it be.
Based on Psalm 72:17–19
This article is adapted from O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Advent to Epiphany by Jonathan Gibson.
Jonathan Gibson (PhD, University of Cambridge) is an ordained minister in the International Presbyterian Church, United Kingdom, and associate professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is a coeditor of and contributor to From Heaven He Came and Sought Her and author of Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship. Jonny and his wife, Jackie, have four children.
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