Letter From the Pastor
Psalm 98:4-6
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
Joy to the World: A Hymn of Joy and Anticipation
Joy to the World: A hymn of hope and celebration, blending the anticipation of Christ’s eternal reign with the joy of the Advent season.
"Joy to the World" is a beloved hymn written by Isaac Watts, with music later adapted by Lowell Mason from themes attributed to George Frideric Handel. Watts composed this hymn in 1719, inspired by Psalm 98, which calls the earth to rejoice in the coming of the Lord to restore creation. Although we know it today as a Christmas carol, Watts did not originally write it for Christmas.
The story behind the hymn reveals Watts’ desire for worship to be joyful and uplifting. In the 18th century, church music often consisted of monotone metrical psalms that lacked emotional resonance. Watts wanted to reflect the transformative power of the Gospel through music that inspired wonder and joy. His innovative approach brought expressive, poetic, and doctrinally rich hymns to Christian worship, revolutionizing how believers sang their faith.
Surprisingly, Watts never intended “Joy to the World” to be a Christmas song. Instead, the hymn focuses on Christ’s second coming and His eternal reign, celebrating the ultimate restoration of creation under His authority. Over time, however, the themes of joy, hope, and celebration in the hymn resonated deeply with the spirit of Christmas. It became a staple of Advent and Christmas worship, blending its focus on Christ's future reign with the anticipation of His birth.
This year, at St. Augustine, we are using "Joy to the World" as our Advent candle-lighting song. Our Advent theme, “Joy to the World,” aligns perfectly with the hymn’s message, capturing the heart of Advent: the joyful anticipation of Christ's kingdom coming in its fullness. The hymn’s lyrics remind us of the hope and joy that Advent brings as we look forward to the day when Jesus’s reign will be fully realized.
Joyfully,
Pastor Anny+
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