It was a packed room this Sunday for our first December Nights service as we sang “Do You See What I See” and more heart humbling lyrics as we worshiped our newborn King! Twinkling preschoolers drew us near to the baby Jesus as they burst with joy to the well-known “Away in a Manger.” The Northstar December Nights tradition is such a special celebration of the Christ child!
We were challenged along with Jeff as he began the message with a passage, Psalm 89:1-2, “I will sing of the Lord’s faithfulness and love forever,” and a question he had for himself this week: “Have I communicated the glory, joy, and wonder of Salvation to anyone this week?” He urged us to remember what God initiated as we celebrate Christmas. When it was dark and without hope, God acted! It should evoke proclamation! It should lead us to sing!
Then he asked each of us, “What would it be like if we all declared God’s love to the world through our voice, our pen, our social media?! What if we were seen bubbling over with what has come?”
In Amos 8, the Lord says He will send a famine. “They will seek a word of the Lord and will not find it.” 400 years of silence followed. No prophets. No direction from God. Then the silence is profoundly broken as the New Testament begins with an angel telling Zechariah he will have a son, John, that will make ready the people for the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Jeff declared, “Then a tsunami of praise” began at the birth of Jesus. Angels heralded, shepherds glorified, wise men were overwhelmed with joy. The famine is over (Isaiah 9:1). Here now is the Bread of Life, our Salvation, our Rescuer, a Great Light! JOY has come and we must proclaim it.
I love his positive, powerful use of tsunami, defined as “an arrival or occurrence of something in overwhelming quantities or amounts.”
Let God’s power overwhelm you with the classic Christmas lyrics that Jeff shared here.
Let’s accept the challenge! How will we erupt into a tsunami of praise? Let the force of God’s extravagant Christmas love compel our hearts in praise using our voices, our pens, our social media!
“Glory to the newborn King!”