Christmas reflection Part FOUR 2018

Okay. Today’s thoughts of past Christmas’ actually isn’t a memory so much as a reflection.

Yesterday during our worship service, I, as praise and worship leader, always feel a heavy responsibility to pick songs under the unction of the Spirit leading me. All morning long, I felt discombobulated. My brain was in a fog of fatigue and the insanity of this season. I felt frustrated in myself for not having it all together. We sang a couple of songs, my group missed my cue to begin one song, I played wrong chords, I felt like I just couldn’t pull it together and make it happen. I was right. I couldn’t. BUT, then during a song where we were singing about worshiping Emmanuel, one single saint stepped out and all of a sudden, everything changed. We stopped going through the motions and truly stepped into a realm of deep worship.

At the front of our church at the foot of the pulpit, I left the wooden manger that was used in our play. I arranged lights around it in a hopeful reminder of what Christmas is all about. As more people began to come to the altar and worship the King of Kings, my imagination transported me through time to the very first Christmas. What must it have been like to walk into a stable that smelled of hay and manure and animals, to hear the soft crunch of your feet on the straw beneath, to see lying in a manger, a tiny newborn snuggled tightly as mother’s do, bathed in the dim light of lanterns and feel such a reverent awe wash over you that all you could do is fall on your knees and worship Him?! Tears streamed down my face as I, in the year 2018, began to worship the same God that left His celestial home and humbled Himself and became flesh and entered this world as we each have done. God! My God! The one true living God, became bone, skin, flesh and blood and lay in the most humble settings and yet the wisest of men and kindest of shepherd and the heavenly hosts of angels came to worship!

Yesterday, our wonderful Life Church family decided to get lost in His wonderful presence. Time stood still for us as we worshiped Him! Some bowed. Some knelt. Some danced. Some raised their hands. Some stood still with tears streaming. Some just stood quietly in awe of Him. Each one different yet all the same in worship!

During this time of hustle and bustle let’s not forget to take time to pause and just be. Be in His presence. I leave you with the song that resonated with me yesterday....
Oh come let us adore Him
Oh come let us adore Him
Oh come let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord!