Come and Worship

Thursday, December 25, 2008

My heart and mind have meditated on many thoughts this Christmas Season. I love everything about the "Christmas Season"...the food, the presents, the weather, the colors, the greenery...the music. Music connects me to the Father and can always shift my focus. Two songs this season have kept my heart humbled and my eyes lifted to the heavenlies. Today let us kneel and bow in worship to our King.

Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight o'er the earth.
Ye who sang creations story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth.

Come and worship, come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ the newborn King.

Shepherds in the fields abiding
Watching o'er your flocks by night.
God with man is now residing
Under shines the infant light

Saints before the altar, bending,
Watching, longing, hope and fear.
Suddenly the Lord descending
in His temple shall appear.

One thing I have meditated on this Christmas season is the simple life that Jesus lived. He didn't come as a "royal" Child born to a King, He came to the humble family of a carpenter. He could have enjoyed all the earthly riches available and yet during His time on earth He lived a very simple life. We know there was intentionality in this because it reflects the fact that earthly treasures, no matter how wonderful are temporary, but heavenly treasures, the souls of men, are eternal. Jesus knew that there was nothing on this earth that could satisfy Him more than His relationship with the Father and that His time needed to be spent on eternal treasure not indulging in earthly temporary treasure. My heart has been stirred to discern where I need to simplify my life so that I can be more about the eternal and less indulgent in the temporary.

They never knew a dark night
always had the Son's light
on their face
Perfect in glory
Broken by the story
of untold grace...
come that day

Majesty had come down
Glory had succumed now
to flesh and bone
In the arms of a manger
In the hands of strangers
that could not know
Just who they hold

And the angels filled the sky
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be
Be a baby born to die

And all fell silent
For the cry of an infant,
the voice of God
Was dividing history
For those with eyes to see,
the Son would shine
From earth that night

To break the chains
Of guilt and sin
To find us here
To pull us in
So we can join in Heaven's song
And with one voice around the throne

All the Angels filled the sky
And I can't help but wonder why
Why the King would choose to be
Be a baby born for me
Be a baby born to die

Risk

Sunday, December 14, 2008

I'm not a gambler. I like decisions that are safe, comfortable, predictable. Although I say and think I trust God, I like my life to be simple enough that I can handle it. Life is and has been good. There has been peace, provision, hope for whats to come, and a simple enjoyment of where we are in life...all risk free. A restlessness has begun to stir in my spirit...not in fear... because of a lack. A lack of risk.


In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade one "leap of faith" could lead to finding a great treasure and saving his father's life. He must risk his life though. Stepping off the cliff could save his father's life or end both of theirs.

The Lord has been showing me that although my life is good it could be great(not perfect)...but getting there involves risk. It involves risking everything and taking that first step off the cliff with no visible way to get across trusting that He is going to carry me every step of the way.


"The splendor of a human heart which trusts that it is loved gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh's Sunflowers, the sight of ten thousand butterflies in flight, or the scent of a million orchids in bloom. Trust is our gift back to God. Unwavering trust is a rare and a precious thing." Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust

He has brought this passage back to me, gently reminding me of the sweet aroma trust is to Him. He is showing me that sometimes risk is good...it builds our faith and strengthens our courage. I have to take that first step He won't push me. Sometimes He brings us to a place where we have everything to lose and only Him to gain more of. That is exactly where I feel...standing at the edge of the cliff...holding on to everything that keeps my life comfortable...but the minute I let go and walk out, the bridge will appear (cue indiana jones music) and we will walk across together.