We start a new series today called Melodies of Hope: Hymns From Advent and Christmastide. Each year, our churches sing a familiar rotation of Advent and Christmas hymns, often without knowing their meaning and context. To provide a fresh take on the Christmas carol canon, we’ve enlisted eight worship leaders, songwriters and thinkers from around C4SO to tell us a favorite Advent or Christmas hymn, giving us historical and musical context, and a word of good news each hymn speaks to us today.
Our guest is Cindy Rethmeier, a longtime songwriter and worship leader, and the hymn she talks with us about is Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus.
The recording featured in this episode is “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (feat. Christy Nockels) [Live]” by Chris Tomlin, from the album Glory In the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship (2009).
You can hear the antiphons Cindy mentioned here.
