I'm sitting here transcribing a great contemporary version of "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" by Red Mountain Church and as I'm getting ready to enter the words into the sheet music I'm in awe of what God did. I just needed to stop and say "thank you God."
"Leaving riches without number,"
"Born within a cattle stall,"
"from our fears and sins release us,"
At the same time as I'm blown away by Jesus' humility, I'm also caught up in a feeling of hope and expectation as if I'm watching it unfold the way it did 2,000 years ago, like I'm one of those who saw the Messiah come into the world first hand.
"O’er the hills the angels singing news, glad tidings of a birth,"
"Go to him your praises ringing Christ the Lord has come to earth"
"Now thy gracious kingdom bring."
This moment I'm having is a perfect example of how powerful music and good poetry based on God's Word can have an amazing effect on someone's emotions, intellect and spirit. Dare I say the effect could be classified as worship that is in spirit and truth?
Those closest to me know that many years ago I began to have very apprehensive feelings towards anything Christmas. I still do, and I won't get into all the reasons why, but I have softened up and have come to appreciate some things. The greatest of these of course (because I'm a wannabe theologian) is the opportunity Advent season affords to teach and meditate on the incarnation. My prayer is that the worship experience I've had tonight prompted by this Christmas hymn would be had by many more once advent season begins. So to you few readers out there, may you fix yourself on the Lord's incarnation and be filled with joy because of what it means not only for those in the past, but to us as well. If that happens, then despite all the traditions, materialism and pagan history that looms over this season, I will consider advent to be something still worth observing.
1 comment:
Chills man, with that tune playing in the background as I read (or maybe the fact that it's only 60ish in this room!). Seriously, the word 'Incarnation' has become one of my favorite words ever. I'm already keeping notes for a sermon series called 'The Theology of Christmas'. What an awesome opportunity to teach the truth of the One who was rich becoming poor so that we are are poor may become rich!! Be blessed!
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