Step Into Christmas

Psalm 33:1-3

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy. 

Without a doubt, Christmas Carols are some of my favourite songs of worship to participate in. Perhaps it's fair to say that some of our contemporary expressions of worship emphasise the friendship and closeness of Jesus without sufficient recognition of his holiness. The traditional Christmas carols, celebrating Jesus’ incarnation, create an opportunity to recognise and experience afresh the wonder that the God of all-consuming holiness made himself a baby, vulnerable to the world, for you and for me. 'Hark the herald angels sing: glory to the new born king.'

Psalm 33 beautifully depicts the ecstatic joy and worship the Christmas story invites us to drench ourselves in: to get lost in the greatness and goodness of God and immerse ourselves in reverence of both his splendour and his sacrifice. To remember and give thanks for the moment of God’s explosion of love for his creation. 

Reflection — The Christmas story invites us into its characters' reverence of God. Take some time today to meditate on the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1-20 focusing in on the experience of the shepherd. Imagine what they would have seen and felt; tending to their sheep, encountering an angel, journeying to meet the Messiah, joining in with the worship of the angels, the overflowing excitement of what they had seen and heard.