"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Hope in the Now and Not Yet" [November 30, 2025]

Biblical hope is not optimism. In fact, the most hopeful people in the Bible often had very few reasons to believe that things would get better for them any time soon. But biblical hope is based not in circumstances but in the unchanging character of God.

Message by Devin Burton, "Hope in the Now and Not Yet" as part of our "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" series. Message from November 30, 2025. Centralia Community Church, Centralia, WA. cccog.com

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is more than a beautiful, ancient hymn - it is a prayer echoing the heartbeat of Advent, the season of holy anticipation. Rooted in Scripture and sung with deep longing, the hymn speaks to the “now and not yet” reality of God’s promises: that Christ has come, and Christ will come again. Each verse names a title of the promised Messiah, and each refrain calls us to rejoice - not because all is fulfilled yet, but because fulfillment is coming. It’s the song of those who live in between; between the manger and the second coming, between promise made and promise fulfilled. This dynamic tension is the essence of Advent.