Today's reading from the LEC Family Advent Devotional is Colossians 3:12-17. The key verse is from verse 16: "Sing to God with gratitude in your heart."
I am currently in the middle of all of the music of the season! Yesterday, the community chorus that I sing with presented a Christmas concert. It was a beautiful concert and a great way to prepare for this season. I also attended a Christmas cantata at a nearby church last night. After my busy day of worship, directing my church choir, and singing in the concert, I needed to be able to sit and enjoy the beautiful music of the season and let the word of Christ dwell within me, because this week starts my very busy week -- the week leading up to the Christmas Cantata at our church. I have music stands that I have to pick up this week. I need to look through the program, once more, and think about the logistics. And, oh, yes, on Sunday we moved the pulpit so we have room to place our instrumentalists. And Wednesday night is our dress rehearsal. And Friday night is our choir party. And Sunday morning is our Cantata. Phew!
Today's devotional writer reminds us to remember that the true music of the season is not about wintery scenes, Christmas trees, holly, and ivy, but to magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior -- just as Mary did in which was one of the first songs in the New Testament -- the Magnificat. In our concert yesterday, we sang the Stanford "Magnificat in A Major" -- Mary's words as she accepts the message from the angel, saying “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled,” and singing that her soul glorifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior. And this Sunday my choir will be singing "What Sweeter Music Can We Bring" based on the poem by Robert Herrick as the beginning to our Christmas Cantata that celebrates the birth of Jesus. John Rutter's version of this poem is probably the most well know; however, my choir is doing a newer version by Mark Hayes. Whichever the version, the spirit in which these words were written by Herrick, after a time of civil war and being removed from his position in the church, brings to life today's key verse -- to sing to God with gratitude in our hearts.
What sweeter music can we bring,
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!
The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome Him. The nobler part
Of all the house here, is the heart,
Which we will give Him; and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath,
To do Him honor; who's our King,
And Lord of all this reveling.
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome Him. The nobler part
Of all the house here, is the heart,
Which we will give Him; and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath,
To do Him honor; who's our King,
And Lord of all this reveling.
Today's Advent Photo of the Day
#sing #pictureadvent
This is a picture of my choir preparing for one of our seasonal cantatas. My prayer today is that we always sing to God with gratitude in our hearts.
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