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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

  • Greeting, Land Acknowledgment & Collect of the Day
  • First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16
  • Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19. Lord, let us turn to you.
  • Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7
  • Hymn 117: Lo, How A Rose
  • Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25
  • Sermon: Gary van der Meer
  • Anthem: Iesous Ahatonnia' – Sarah Quartel/Andrée Levesque Sioui
  • Prayers of the People: Erin Biggs
  • The Lord’s Prayer (sung)
  • Doxology & Blessing
  • Hymn 91: People, Look East
  • Dismissal (children)

ABOUT THE ANTHEM:

This week’s anthem features a familiar tune with a new text. You may recognize the tune as the Huron Carol. Believed to be first written in the 1640s by Jesuit Priest Jean de Brébeuf, and colloquially described as ‘Canada’s first Christmas Carol’, the text for this piece has changed significantly three separate times amid an evolving historical landscape, from Wendat, to French, and finally to English. The English version bears little resemblance to its Wendat or French predecessors, and has become notorious for its use of cultural appropriation, and misrepresentation of the Wendat people. Even the term “Huron” is considered derogatory, since the term refers to “the way the French [settlers] referenced the bristled hairstyle of Wendat men in colonial times.” 

The arrangement we will be singing this Sunday by Sarah Quartel aims to tell this story in a way that can further our work of reconciliation. Featuring a text by Wendat poet Andrée Levesque Sioui which “invites choirs and audiences alike to reflect on the truths of the past while preparing for a more cohesive future,” this new text takes us through four verses that tell the story of our history from the perspective of the Wendat people: from the Wendat creation story, the arrival of the missionaries, the ensuing conflict, and a path ahead to a future of peace and unity. The title likewise has been changed to Iesous ahatonnia’, a Wendat phrase that translates to “Jesus is born (lit. Jesus, he is newly made).” 

While traditionally a Christmas Carol, I thought it fitting to hear this piece on the fourth Sunday of Advent, where we are called to reflect on Love. As we hear this wonderful music, let us prepare our minds to love one another, and work together from a common understanding of our history towards a brighter, peaceful future together.

Nick Busch, Director of Music