For the first December in a long while our musical family isn’t preparing for Christmas worship. Every year, after November thankfulness, I love the December advent. Seeing festive decor, and hearing familiar Christmas favorites from an early morning worship practice bring me joy. Sometimes I’ve joined on the bass. Sometimes I’ve shared Jesus’ birth story with Sunday school kids. Sometimes I’ve taken my own kiddos down halls of a nursing home, singing songs of hope with the elderly.
“Do you miss it?” I ask Jeff. His feelings are mixed.
To me, Christmas is an open door. The name of Jesus is accepted in December. I don’t want to waste opportunities to celebrate His love. December is Jesus to me!
What do you do when your worship team goes quiet? What do I do? I think of a play on words. The Spanish más means more. I want Más Christ this December. How can I find Him now?
A song rises in my heart from years ago in California, before my kids were born.
More love, more power, more of You in my life, Jesus,
More love, more power, more of You in my life.
That’s what I want!
Más Christ!
The song goes on:
And I will worship You with all of my heart,
And I will worship You with all of my mind,
And I will worship You with all of my strength,
For You are my Lord, You are my Lord.
What does worship look like when I don’t have songs to practice for Sunday? It’s just Jesus and me!
I can sing to Him loudly in my car where no one hears my off-key voice (no autotune required!). I can worship Him softly as I walk around the block with my dog in the early morning chill. I can worship Him in my heart as I take care of simple tasks: cleaning, cooking, or folding. I can worship with all my might when it’s only Him and me.
Hopefully, I can worship with other people in spirit and in truth, but I KNOW that nothing can stop me from lifting my heart to the Lord.
And I will seek Your face, with all of my heart,
And I will seek Your face, with all of my mind,
And I will seek Your face, with all of my strength,
For You are my Lord, You are my Lord.
How about you? Are you longing for Más Christ this December? Is this your heart’s priority?
“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NIV).
Let’s press on to seek Him in this season. Wherever you are, worship Him! Seek His face! Offer your broken song, a sacrifice of thanksgiving. If. You don’t know what to say, start with an old fashioned Christmas carol. Don’t bother with “White Christmas.” “O Come, o come, Emmanuel” might just be the one.
More love, more power, more of You in our lives!
(1987 Mercy, Vineyard Publishing)
Chilly December wind blows upon my face. I’m glad I brought my gloves as I hustle down the road for our early morning walk. I imagine this gale of wind has flown over icebergs and snowmen, making its way to our southern neighborhood. Just yesterday, I wore shorts.
As Daisy stops to sniff her doggy message board mailbox, my eyes are drawn to a golden-leaved tree. “Ah, even here in Florida we get a little autumn,” I admire.
Glory to God!
The tree branches lift up as if offering a psalm of thanksgiving. All around are ordinary grayish-green pines. This tree looks wonderfully out of place.
Glory to God!
This tree stands out like sun beaming through stormy clouds. It seems to say, “Look at me! I am doing fall whether the other trees notice or not.” I want to be like that tree!
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
When Jesus was born, angels circled His little manger bed. They sang with joy, unrestrained. I don’t imagine angels being shy to express devotion at all.
Jesus shows up again and again in my life. He restores hope, courage, and strength. Sometimes maybe I’m tempted to blend in like one of those grayish-green pines. What if instead, I shine my devotion and joy? What if you do the same? Maybe we can bring light and warmth into a cold December day. Certainly, we can please the One who lavishes peace and goodness on us all.
Oh come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
“Joy, unspeakable joy,
An overflowing well, no tongue can tell
Joy, unspeakable joy,
Rises in my soul, never lets me go…
Let Heaven and nature sing.”
(Joy, Unspeakable Joy, Chris Tomlin)
Advent continues. I remember these songs we shared in December. On Sunday, I hear a church message about joy.
“Why are Christians so grumpy sometimes?” the pastor asks. I don’t see Eeyore in the Bible! I challenge you to see how many people you can make smile this week.” In principle, I agree. Simultaneously, I despise the idea of pasting on a smile when we’re hurting inside. It’s ingenuine.
How can Christians exhibit joy when, inside, we feel pain from life’s troubles? Should we just buck up and try harder? I remember some heroes of my faith:
Clint Baer was one of the first authentic believers in my life. He was truly like a brother to Jeff and me. A hard-working plumber, he came home ready to love his family and friends. He kept conversations and worship going until he fell asleep sitting up mid-sentence. Later, when cancer ravaged his body, Clint kept his faith alive. His smile was authentically joyful. There was nothing false about Clint’s joy… it affected everyone he met!
Miss Jo, my pastor’s mother, exuded joy until her final days. I knew her body was full of pain. She was surely exhausted. She still rejoiced in the goodness of God. One day, I wanted Jo to know I saw this in her.
“Miss Jo, you have the joy of the Lord!” I said. “So do you,” she responded. Oh, I hoped maybe I could grow into as joyful a woman as she was. Then she pointed to my daughter, Emme, and said, “She’s starting to get it too,” and laughed. I loved her humor. There was nothing unkind about her laugh. When Miss Jo showed up at church, worship glowed more brightly for us all.
That song floats around in my mind. “Joy, unspeakable joy…” and I recognize another example of joy in Christ. Isn’t it always the ones closest to us who are easiest to miss?
I remember the years that Jeff led worship while struggling with pain and depression. He steadfastly pulled himself out of bed and headed to the church early. Equipped with his favorite Starbucks drink, he led our small team…mostly his own unruly family, to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
Time after time, I watched a transformation. The weight of his afflictions seemed to lift off. Joy filled Jeff’s voice. I saw the light of hope upon his face. Those words he sang,
“Joy, unspeakable joy, rising in my soul, never lets me go…” happened in real-time. I saw it all from the back of the stage, where I tried my best to play the bass. He prayed Spirit-filled prayers. Worship transformed my husband and infused joy into his struggle.
Now, here we are, halfway through another Christmas season. There are no Sunday morning worship rehearsals for the Gibson family. Maybe I just need to look a little more deliberately to discover the joy still peeking out from the eyes of my favorite person.
I see Christ’s joy when Jeff connects with our young adult kids, talking about music and playing games. I see it when he patiently loves his mom. She lives with us, and he deliberately cares for her, reminding her she is precious. I see joy when Jeff listens to me go on and on about my writing, my teaching, or anything I happen to be excited about. His eyes are off himself, fully in the moment, appreciating the person he loves.
Now, I remember my conversation with Miss Jo. She had the joy of the Lord. I guess this is something any Christ follower wants. This joy is not dependent on circumstance. Maybe it’s even stronger when we are enduring long, hard seasons.
Jo told me I already had that joy. Maybe it’s something easier to see in others than in ourselves. Take a step back. Can someone recognize the joy in your presence?
Jo said that young Emme was still learning. Aren’t we all?
Joy, unspeakable joy, will demonstrate God’s love to a lonely and love-hungry world. I want to be like Clint, like Jo, like Jeff.
Being a joyful Christian isn’t pasting on a happy face when we feel like hiding away. It’s bringing our troubled hearts to the One who knows exactly how we feel and asking Him to do what we cannot accomplish on our own. When the joy of the Lord fills His children, the power of love takes over and sets hearts free.
Who in your life exudes this sort of joy? Who do you want to inspire with joy yourself? I pray that this Christmas, you experience joy, unspeakable joy.
And the joy of the Lord will be our strength.
Emme and I decide Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the candlelight beginning.
We shrug off the discomfort of visiting our previous church. We know they will welcome us with smiles and hugs. Of course, they do!
Midnight Christmas Day begins with the candles raised and the Silent Night sung out. I gaze all around at those little flames, joining together to push out the darkness. A mother encircles her daughter in a lovely embrace. Friends call out, “Merry Christmas,” as they make their way home to warm and cozy beds. We sing a little more in the car, and then we, too, find our cozy beds.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome” (John 1:5).
May God bless your days with more of His light. May He show you ways to shine hope into your sphere. May your 2024 end in peace and your 2025 begin with hope.
Christ the Savior is born!
