“O Come, Christ-Sophia,” Carol Video
The first hymn I wrote was “O Come, Christ-Sophia” to the tune of “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” It was in the Advent season of 1995. The multitude of masculine images in traditional Christmas carols pelted me like stones. I’d grown tired of singing “O come, let us adore him.” I wondered how different our world would be if we sang our adoration to her as well. Knowing people’s resistance to changing a few words in hymns, I wrote completely new lyrics.
O come, Christ-Sophia, full of grace and wisdom;
come bless us, come challenge us to make life anew.
Come bring us power, beauty, hope, and harmony.
We long for your coming, labor for your birthing,
for you are our hope of peace, our power for change.
Come, Christ-Sophia, break down walls and free us.
Rejoice all you people, sisters, brothers, join now
to sing of a bright new day just dawning for all.
Sing now a new song; sing with jubilation.
REFRAIN
O come now, Christ-Sophia; O come, now Christ-Sophia;
O come now Christ-Sophia, Wisdom and peace.
Words © Jann Aldredge-Clanton ADESTE FIDELES
The incarnation of the Divine comes in all genders and races. “Christ-Sophia” is a biblical divine name and image celebrating the Divine in all people. “Christ-Sophia” makes equal connections among genders and races, thus providing a foundation for communities based on partnership. Christ-Sophia brings change to church and society by providing a theological foundation for gender and racial equality.
Sophia, the Greek word for Wisdom, is a biblical female divine image that opens new possibilities for justice, liberation, and new life. New Testament writers link Christ to Wisdom (Hokmah in Hebrew), a female divine symbol in the Hebrew Scriptures. The apostle Paul refers to Christ as the “power of God and the Wisdom (Sophia) of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24), and states that Christ “became for us Wisdom (Sophia) from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). The book of Proverbs describes Wisdom as the “way,” the “life,” and the “path” (4:11,22,26). The Gospel of John refers to Christ as “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). My book In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians gives a thorough explanation of the connections between Christ and Sophia (Wisdom) in Scripture and in Christian tradition.
Our world longs for the coming of Christ-Sophia, who embodies wisdom, justice, peace, equity, grace, mutual relationship, and new life. Christ-Sophia inspires continual new birth. Christ-Sophia empowers us to make the Gospel vision of the new creation a reality. Sing and celebrate the coming of Christ-Sophia!
Video Credits
Performed by: Spiral Muse (Dionne Kohler-Newvine, Kathleen Joan, Alison Kohler-Newvine, and Lana Dalberg), from album “Sing of Peace,” recorded at Joe Hoffmann Studios, Occidental, CA
Lyrics: Jann Aldredge-Clanton
Visual Art:
Katie Ketchum: “Sing of Peace” album cover and “Christ-Sophia” paintings
Stacy Boorn: 6 Christ-Sophia paintings
2 photos from The Gathering, A Womanist Church
Alice Heimsoth: 3 photos in sanctuary of Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran, San Francisco
Elaine Chan-Scherer: “Our Lady of Charity: La Caridad” painting
photo from Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
David Clanton: photo from Equity for Women in the Church event & photo from “Imagine God! A Children’s Musical Exploring and Expressing Images of God” event
Mirta Toledo, “Saint Sophia”