December 29, 2014 – Seasonal Soundtrack

December 29, 2014 – Seasonal Soundtrack
Kazimiera I.H. Fraley

Isaiah 12:1-6 

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

let this be known in all the earth.

- Isaiah 12:5

We rush through this season, trying to locate that specific toy for our daughter, or the right gift that is thoughtful and meaningful for that person on our list who is always the most difficult to shop for. It is easy to get caught up in the chaos that represents this season. As we rush from place to place, drive hither and tither, our world is filled with music.

The music of this season is as ubiquitous as the stress and chaos in which it is wrapped. The music surrounds you and soon becomes the sound track to your life. Taylor Swift is singing “Santa Baby,” while you are picking out a tie for your husband. “Last Christmas,” with George Michael, of all people, plays while you wait in line at the post office. Meanwhile the cast of Glee sings “Jingle Bell Rock” while you pick out a Christmas ham. And no matter where we are or what we are doing, everyone gives a collective groan whenever, “Baby, it’s Cold Outside,” begins to play, no matter who is singing it.

We come to this season a little differently than our culture. At the center of our celebration is not Santa, true love, the spirit of giving, or even family. The center of our season is God doing something amazing, unheard of, and genuinely profound. The focus is our anticipation and remembrance of this unique event. The grand finale is our celebration of the incarnation, the birth of Christ, the coming of the God-child whose entrance onto the world’s stage changed everything for all time. Jesus is our focal point, not all the other things that sometime fill our world at this time of the year.

As our world is filled with the typical Christmas sound track our culture presents to us, let us take a step back and attempt to replace that sound track with something different, something which is more associated with the center of our season, with the focus of our lives. The sound track of which I am speaking of is a sound track of praise, one which sings of the glorious work of the Lord, one that makes known the great work of God which is done in our world through the birth of Christ, one which allows us to highlight the wonders of our God.
 

Here for You

Let our praise be Your welcome
Let our songs be a sign
We are here for You, we are here for You

Let Your breath come from heaven
Fill our hearts with Your life
We are here for You, we are here for You
…
We welcome You with praise