Peeve of the Season

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Holiday, Just My Thoughts

 

My pet peeve for the Christmas season:

people who change the words of the Christmas carols!


Case in point: Jewel.

(And before you think to question me about my music preferences, I do not listen to Jewel and I do not own any of her cds. I heard this song on the AOL free radio Christmas station.)

She can sing…

"Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth"

…without any hesitation;

BUT she changes "Offspring of a virgin's womb" to "Offspring of the favored one" in the previous verse??? 

Why?

Because without the virgin birth, Jesus is just another man.

A really great man, apparently, according to what Jewel believes. He wants to give man a "second birth" and He is "ris'n with healing in His wings".  Considering what folks believe with today's New Age mysticism, they could sing those words about any good man.

 

If, however, you sing that a Man was born of a virgin – that, of necessity, makes Him Diety – God Almighty! And the world just can't admit or acknowledge that about Jesus Christ.


I know…why should I even be surprised that the world doesn't believe that the baby Jesus was truly the Son of God? I guess, in all actuality, I'm not surprised or even offended.


What I do object to, though, is this: 

when they take the songs of authors who did believe this truth with their whole heart, and twist and distort the author's message to be something that it isn't:  a pretty song about a winter holiday.


As a musician, as a singer and soloist, I can with a clear conscience, admonish you,

  • If you cannot sing every word of a song with sincerity and honesty… 
  • If you don't believe every word of the song you are performing…
  • If you can't be true to the message of the author… 

Don't sing the song!


We musicians should take our role very seriously, as we use music to proclaim our Christ and the message of His Word. While we don't expect the world to honor or understand His message, we should do our utmost to proclaim it clearly.

May we honor Christ this season – with our lives and our music.

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

A Month of Thankfulness

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, Blessings

November 26, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

for beauty.

 

There is a time to be sober and see the pain of those who are hurting so that we can empathize with them.  There is a time to acknowledge the pain that we are feeling ourselves, rather than live a life of denial.

However, we cannot stay focused on that all the time.  If we do, our souls begin to wither and die.

We must take time to recognize the beauty around us, to stop and smell the roses, to drink in all of nature's splendor.


I have found that on the days when the pain, whether physical or emotional, is overwhelming me, I can choose to focus my mind on beauty:

  • the beauty of Scripture,
  • music,
  • a lovely story,
  • pretty crafts,
  • a handful of colorful beads,
  • my son's laughter,
  • a growing plant,
  • the pleasant breeze blowing.


There is beauty everywhere, if we will only take the time to notice it. 

Noticing beauty draws our hearts into attitudes of thankfulness. 

Attitudes of thankfulness focus our hearts on the God we are thanking.

Focusing on the greatness of our God brings our heart peace.


When we look at it that way, beauty brings peace.

{Now, that is something to be thankful for!}

A Month of Thankfulness

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, Blessings

November 26, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

for beauty.

 

There is a time to be sober and see the pain of those who are hurting so that we can empathize with them.  There is a time to acknowledge the pain that we are feeling ourselves, rather than live a life of denial.

However, we cannot stay focused on that all the time.  If we do, our souls begin to wither and die.

We must take time to recognize the beauty around us, to stop and smell the roses, to drink in all of nature's splendor.


I have found that on the days when the pain, whether physical or emotional, is overwhelming me, I can choose to focus my mind on beauty:

  • the beauty of Scripture,
  • music,
  • a lovely story,
  • pretty crafts,
  • a handful of colorful beads,
  • my son's laughter,
  • a growing plant,
  • the pleasant breeze blowing.


There is beauty everywhere, if we will only take the time to notice it. 

Noticing beauty draws our hearts into attitudes of thankfulness. 

Attitudes of thankfulness focus our hearts on the God we are thanking.

Focusing on the greatness of our God brings our heart peace.


When we look at it that way, beauty brings peace.

{Now, that is something to be thankful for!}

A Month of Thankfulness

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, Blessings

November 24, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

that even in the darkness, God is near!


II Samuel 22:10-12 – He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

 

II Samuel 22:29 – 31 – For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

 

 II Chronicles 5:13-II Chronicles 6:1 – It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

 

Psalm 97:1-2 – The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

 

"All-loving Father, sometimes we have walked under starless skies that dripped darkness like drenching rain.  We despaired of starshine or moonlight or sunrise.  The sullen blackness gloomed above us as if it would last forever.  And out of the dark there spoke no soothing voice to mend our broken hearts.  We would gladly have welcomed some wild thunder peal to break the torturing stillness of that over-brooding night.

"But Thy winsome whisper of eternal love spoke more sweetly to our bruised and bleeding souls than any winds that breathe to us.  We were listening and we heard.  We looked and saw Thy face radiant with the light of love.  And when we heard Thy voice and saw Thy face, new life came back to us as life comes back to withered blooms that drink the summer rain." ~Streams in the Desert