Advent Day 5:
When I worked at the non-profit, I had the real privilege of leading the staff in worship every other Monday.
My guitar skills are minimal, I can play chords in some semblance of song. My singing voice is fair, but not great - no one is ever going to call me Maria Callas. But the folks who asked me over looked that, and let me know that what I had to offer was fine.
And so advent came upon us, and when my Monday came, I brought out the guitar and the words to O Holy Night and passed them out to the staff.
They all started to laugh, and I said, "I know, I know, but the words are great, and they are worshipful, and if we all go together, we'll get through the song - even the high part, because we're just going to belt it out."
O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear savior's birth
Long lay the world, in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn...
We kept going, and got louder, and smiled and kept singing. The whole staff just belting out the song from their guts.
Fall on your knees, o hear the angel voices
Oh night, divine, Oh night, when Christ was born.
We made it up over the top of the musical phrase, and back down again to sing the remaining versus.
It wasn't the prettiest, or most polished version of that song I've ever heard. And there's certainly a time and a place for the polish. But we brought what we had to offer, and the Lord blessed our worship, and met us there, and that was a precious thing to share with those folks who I worked next to everyday.
It's so tempting to always try to bring the polish, or to think, "I'll just try a bit longer to get myself together before I go to God." But what grace, what mercy, the Lord doesn't ask for the polish or the perfection, He doesn't ask us to strive for worthiness, He bids us come with what we have, and let Him make us whole.
The grace of that makes me weep - just to simply bring what we have, and let the Lord restore, and transform, to change and make new. What rest and peace.
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother
And in His Name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
With all our hearts we praise His Holy Name.
Christ is the Lord, O praise His name forever.
12.03.2009
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4 comments:
"Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come."
Your post reminds me of a cornerstone of my theology. Some people want to put a condition on God's love: "if you do such and such, God will love you." Others want to put an expectation on it: "God loves you because you're meant to be such and such." To me, the greatest good news of the Good News is that God simply loves us -- truly, no ands, ifs or buts. Like a crazy, naive lover, God loves us. Like a fool, God loves us. Like -- well, like a guy who would die for complete strangers, God loves us. Praise his name forever, indeed!
Robbie,
I thought only Baptists knew "Just as I am," - just kidding.
Well put indeed about God's love.
i remember that day, singing that song in our little "sanctuary."
it's been a long time since i made peace with my lack of musical ability, but on that day i was reminded again that the Lord Himself has given me this voice and He delights in it, even when those around me are covering their ears :)
Kati,
What a beautiful thing to remember that God delights in you and in what He has given you.
Thanks for sharing,
Sara
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