"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Joy in the Now and Not Yet" [December 14, 2025]

God’s people are called to a unique type of joy. It’s more than a happy mood. It's a choice to trust that God will fulfill his promises, and it's a joy that is long-lasting and life-giving. Every verse of the hymn ends with a command to rejoice—even in exile, even in waiting. This is the paradox of Advent joy: we rejoice not because everything is right, but because the One who will make it right is both on His way and here now.

Message by Devin Burton, "Joy in the Now and Not Yet" as part of our "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" series. Message from December 14, 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.