“O Come, Christ-Sophia” Video

Advent celebrates the coming of the Divine into the world.  Christ-Sophia is a divine name and image, celebrating the sacred value of all people and all creation. Our world longs for the coming of Christ-Sophia, who embodies wisdom, justice, peace, equity, mutual relationship, liberation, grace, hope, and new life.

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, thou Christ-Sophia; O come, thou Christ-Sophia;
O come, thou Christ-Sophia, wisdom and peace.

Words © 1996 Jann Aldredge-Clanton                                    ADESTE FIDELES

It’s been a joy to collaborate on “O Come, Christ-Sophia” and other inclusive carols with a splendid music group from Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran in San Francisco. Alison Newvine, Dionne Kohler, Kathleen Neville Fritz, Lana Dalberg, and I had a wonderful time creating an Advent/Christmas album, Sing of Peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Christ-Sophia” is a biblical symbol of the Divine, making equal connections between male and female, black and white, Jewish and Christian traditions, thus providing a foundation for communities based on partnership instead of domination. 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, a feminine symbol of God in the Hebrew Scriptures. Wisdom (Hokmah in Hebrew) symbolizes creative, redemptive, and healing power. In their efforts to describe this same power in Christ, the apostle Paul and other New Testament writers draw from the picture of Wisdom. 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). Bringing this biblical connection of Christ and Sophia to our worship can inspire partnerships that contribute to peace,  justice, and equity in our world. For a fuller explanation, see In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians.

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! Sing of peace and justice and new life! 

Video Credits

Performed by: Spiral Muse (formerly Devi Vaani)—Dionne Kohler, Kathleen Neville-Fritz, and Alison Newvine with Lana Dalberg on violin—from album “Sing of Peace,” recorded at Joe Hoffmann Studios, Occidental, CA

Lyrics: Jann Aldredge-Clanton

Visual Art:

Katie Ketchum: “Christ-Sophia”

Mary Plaster: “Sophia, Divine Wisdom”

Mirta Toledo: “Saint Sophia”

Shonna McDaniels: “Black Madonna”

The Gathering: A Womanist Church, photos from website

Equity for Women in the Church, Memphis Theological Seminary, photo by Michael Owens
Equity for Women in the Church, Perkins School of Theology, photo by David Clanton

Alice Heimsoth: photo of labyrinth in sanctuary of Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran, San Francisco

Elizabeth Zedaran: “Flow”

Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, photo from National Catholic Reporter

Photo from Women’s March 2017, from article by Colin Dwyer on Michigan NPR News Station website

Photo of rally led by faith leaders in front of Baltimore city hall calling for justice in response to death of Freddie Gray, posted in article by Margaret Myers on PBS News Hour website

French artist “JR”: giant child at the US-Mexico border, from article by Inigo del Castillo on “Lost at E Minor” website

David Clanton: photos of children dancing & children singing, from Imagine God! A Children’s Musical Exploring and Expressing Images of God events