"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Peace in the Now and Not Yet" [December 07, 2025]

Peace is a very common word in English, and it means different things to different people. It's also a very important word in the Bible that refers not only to the absence of conflict but also to the presence of something else. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" longs for peace - shalom - the restoration of all things. In a world full of darkness, conflict, and sorrow, the prayer is that Christ, the Prince of Peace, would come and break through the gloom. Though we still wait for the full realization of peace, we experience glimpses of it now through Christ’s presence, the peace that “passes all understanding.”

Message by Matt Klovdahl, "Peace in the Now and Not Yet" as part of our "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" series. Message from December 7, 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.