LWF Member Churches and Country Programs share Advent hymns
(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches expectantly await the coming of Jesus Christ this Advent. LWF will mark the period with a 28-day calendar of Advent hymns. This is the fifth year that Advent hymns are shared by LWF Member Churches and Country Programs.
“Advent: A Singing Communion has been a creative expression of our shared Lutheran identity and the diverse contexts of the member churches,” said LWF General Secretary Rev. Anne Burghardt.
For five years, the hymns have shown us how we share in our tradition of ‘expectant waiting’ for Christ’s coming into the world. This witness of ‘expectant waiting’ brings us together as a communion built on God’s promises.
Rev. Anne BURGHARDT, LWF General Secretary
“For five years, the hymns have shown us how we share in our tradition of ‘expectant waiting’ for Christ’s coming into the world. This witness of ‘expectant waiting’ brings us together as a communion built on God’s promises.”
Five years of musical witness
Begun in Advent 2018, the Advent hymns were well received worldwide and have been a way of nurturing connection and showing solidarity through faith and hope. Representatives of many churches have spoken about how this is a strong way of connecting across the communion and getting to know each other better.
“Thank you for the invitation during the Advent hymns. I am very excited to see all the hymns. I also give thanks to you and all the LWF teams and technicians for their efforts to share the videos,” said Malagasy Lutheran Church President Rev. Dr. Denis Rakotozafy.
Ms. Agnieszka Tarnogorska, Communication Coordinator for the The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland said the hymns offered insights into “how we celebrate our Lutheran identity.” She shared the video series as a study tool for the church during Advent.
The hymns have also been used in local Christmas services by member churches.
“I believe that it is a fantastic time for those who have prepared songs and made videos,” said Svetlana Vojnić Feldi of the Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia." “Last year, we shared the video hymn from the Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia."
Diverse contributions
The churches offering hymns this year include Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia, the Church of Norway, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic and The Church of Lippe (Lutheran Section), Germany.
Hymns will also be shared by two LWF Country Programs in Poland and Ethiopia. In Poland, the hymn is performed by Ukrainian refugee staff, while the Ethiopia hymn was recorded in an LWF Member Church in Mekelle, Tigray.
“The Advent hymns are a reminder of how churches worldwide express their joy and longing during Advent across the whole world,” said Rev. Arni Danielsson, LWF Head of Communication. “Through these five years they have been an amazing way to get to know the communion better and we have been grateful for the many followers of the Advent hymns and for everyone who has shared them.”
The first hymn will be published on 27 November which is the First Sunday of Advent and the last one on 24 December, Christmas Eve.
The hymns will be shared on LWF social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram and among churches worldwide. They will offer daily insights into how Lutheran churches mark Advent through music.
