Silent Night

I've just had a couple of sleepless nights in a row, amounting to two hours of sleep since Thursday morning.  I'm reaping the consequences of that now, in terms of a fuzzy mind, an achey body, and a bizarre adrenaline rush.  So please forgive me if my ramblings here today are not easy to follow.

The mind is a crazy thing.  I sometimes wonder the purposes behind God's design of the mind, of thinking, or rationality and irrationality.  Of saneness and mental illness.  Of Peace and of Turmoil.

Christmas is nearly here, and as I lay in bed last night wide awake, trying to sort out the upcoming year in my mind, trying to examine if there is anything that I am not doing in terms of finding a job and a future for my family and I, I recognized the silence of the house.

It was not a peaceful silence.  It was a troubled silence, an uneasy silence, existing mostly in my own mind.  My fan was on, I could hear my youngest snoring, the heater kicking on and off.  And there was silence in my mind, but it was not peace.  There is a difference.

I think that Silent Night must be the most-loved, most-sung Christmas carol.  This morning I've wondered why, out of the dozens of carols there are, why is this the one that many people treasure in their souls?

My (very imperfect) conclusion?  It is because we all desire just that....a silent night, a holy night.  For all to be calm, all to be bright.  A different silence though, then the disorienting silence of my sleepless night.  A silence filled with peace.  With assurance that all is well.  A true ability to Be Still and Know that God is God.

The night Jesus was born is so often depicted as a serene, quite scene, full of peace and wonder.  But was it really?  Could it just as well been a terrifying night, full of uncertainty and anxiety as Mary labored to give birth to the Messiah?

I read recently somewhere, that the day my Jesus was born, is also the day my Jesus died.  Not only did He die later in life on the cross for me, he also died the day he was born, becoming a man so that he could become the sacrifice to pay for my sins, so that he could become the Prince of Peace.

Peace and silence are seem to be elusive, fleeting as of late.  Nonetheless, I pray that God will grant us all the gift of a Silent night, a Holy night, this coming Christmas.

The Music of Advent

I've thought a lot this Christmas season about the music that comes with these Advent days.  I seem to have a new appreciation for some of the song that I've sung since childhood.  Scotty Smith, a blogger who shares his honest and heartfelt prayers based in scripture captured some of my same thinking with his prayer based on Mary's Song.

A Prayer About Breaking Out into Mary’s Song

     And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:46-50

     Jesus, I woke up today extremely thankful for the gift of music… especially the songs of Advent. I’m more likely to lose my inhibitions singing Christmas songs than any other genre, and it’s not rocket science to figure out why this is so.

     Every Advent hymn, carol and chorus I know—the ones’ from your Word… in my hymnal… or my iPod—every one of them propel me into hope and gratitude. Hope and gratitude, hope and gratitude, more hope and more gratitude. And when my heart is fueled by these twin graces, I’m much freer, much more full of faith, and much more inclined to sing and make music in my heart to you.

     Jesus, I praise you for igniting my heart to sing your praise. I praise you for giving me a reason to sing. I praise you for songwriters who capture what I feel and give me the vehicle for expressing what I long to say to you.

     Though Mary’s story is different from mine, yet I join her Advent refrain today. I can sing her song. I must sing her song, for you’ve been mindful of my humble, broken, sinful state. I have nothing to boast in but you, Jesus. You came to me when I wasn’t seeking you. You’re being formed in me just as surely as you entered the world through Mary’s womb.

     I’m a blessed man only because you’ve done great things for me, and you continue to do great things for me. Holy is your name, Lord Jesus! I have no concern for what any generation may say about me. It’s enough to know what you say about me… that I’m yours… that I’m forgiven… that I’m righteous in you… that nothing can separate me from your love.

     Your mercy has been extended my generation, and to me, personally. Therefore, my soul glorifies you, Jesus, and my spirit rejoices in you, my God and my Savior. As the gospel goes deeper into my heart, free me from all fears except the fear of the Lord. I want to be filled and freed with an affectionate reverence for you alone, Jesus. So very Amen, I sing and pray, in your most glorious and gracious name… with more hope and gratitude than ever.

Book Review: Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin

I started reading Kauflin's book, with the expectation that what I was about to read, would be geared mostly toward Worship Pastor's--those minister's whose calling and responsibilities encompass the music/drama/worship service details of a church body.  I was wrong.  While obviously that audience is the primary target, I found the material to be hugely engaging, theologically sound, and hugely educational for a person such as myself, a lay member involved in the music/worship ministry of our church.  Kauflin seems to cover all details, big and small, that make up a sound worship ministry.  He truly gives credence to his title "Worship Matters."  It matters because it is commanded.  It matters because it is Biblical.  It matters because God delights in it.  We must be professional in our attention to details, while open to flexibility and sensitive to what is happening in the moment.  We must examine our hearts, our motives, our plans to make sure they are Christ centered, to make sure they are scriptural centered.

Kauflin has written an easy to read, thought provoking treatise on worship, out of his own personal experiences and wealth of knowledge.  I am grateful for his willingness to share his thoughts and by doing so, bolster a continuing dialogue in our churches to emphasize that worship is not just the music on a Sunday morning, nor is it a battle between contemporary verses traditional styles of worship.  Rather, it is the all encompassing meeting of the church, to worship God through music, prayer, tithes, scripture, Biblical preaching and responsiveness to God.  It is all worship, we would do well to remember that more often, as Kauflin urges his readers to do just that.

People Get Ready by Crystal Bowersox, 2010

I've not watched any of American Idol for the past few years, but tonight I caught the very last performance by one of the two finalists, Crystal Bowersox.  Wow.

This is not the song she performed tonight, but her perfomance here of "People Get Ready"---it exudes her thankfulness to God for her family, for her life and, her gratefulness that her dad was in the audience this night and the resulting intense passion in an already beautiful song.  Whew.

Check out her other recordings on YouTube.  Amazing.

YouTube - While My Guitar Gently Weeps(ukulele)

YouTube - While My Guitar Gently Weeps(ukulele)

Jake Shimabukuro had better watch out....this boy's got skills.....

YouTube - I'm Yours(ukulele)

YouTube - I'm Yours(ukulele)

I could watch this 100 Times, easily. This kid has mad uke skills.