Church Music; December 16, 2021

Posted on December 19, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

For once there is no variance whatsoever between the English and the Japanese, at least in the translations I have in front of me. Checking online, I find that the latest version of the NIV changes that to “my strength and my defense.” That ruins the whole thing for me! The Bible, and specifically Psalms, speaks many times of God being our strength, and it speaks even more about singing to God. It is perfectly logical that the Psalmist would say this here. As David says in Psalm 40:3, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Singing is a natural response to the awareness of God and His goodness. Countless believers over the years have discovered that when they sing to God, His strength wells up within them, whatever their circumstances. Every era in Church history has had its songs, its music. In the current era, with the technological ease of both making music and disseminating it via the Internet, there has been an explosion of new music, some anointed and some not. The point is not to make music because it’s fun – though it is – or because it’s new, but because it’s an expression of our heart to God. It has been rightly said that you can tell the theology of a church by what they sing. We do well to think about what we sing and why, so that our hearts would be rightly focused on our Savior and Lord in every way.

As I have written before, I am hugely blessed to have been raised in a very musical family that was also a family of faith. Some of my best memories are of being gathered around the piano singing hymns, in 4-part harmony. Musical skill, though a blessing, isn’t the most important thing, however. I think that singing had a lot to do with grounding me in faith, even though my adherence to that faith wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t until I was introduced to the Charismatic Movement in the early ‘70s that the whole world of “new music” burst on me, and I reveled in it. Today I love both old songs and new. I will confess to having some preferences in style, but the important point is the heart, the Spirit, behind each song. I have been aware of God’s anointing on a wide variety of music! I am to be a good steward of my musical gifts, but most importantly, I am to so live, act, and sing so that others may be drawn to sing to God as well, in humble adoration, for their blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I won’t be singing for the audience today, but I will be singing in each of the three class Christmas parties that are coming up. May I not show off, but rather let Your strength be manifested through my songs, drawing my hearers to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Warfare; December 15, 2021

Posted on December 17, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 116:7 Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.

People have made fun of it, but David actually had a pretty good idea when he talked to himself in his Psalms. Sometimes we would do well to give ourselves a good talking to as well! The devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and he loves nothing better than to steal our joy and destroy our peace. However, the only tools he has to do that are lies, so we need to remind ourselves of God’s truth in defense. We have been given the armor we need, (Ephesians 6:10-18) but we have to put it on and use it. The Word of God is “sharper than any two-edged sword,” (Hebrews 4:12) but we have to be fully familiar with it to use it effectively. A good swordsman with steel swords will practice countless hours to build up “muscle memory,” so that his body will act without his having to think about it. The same may be said of “spiritual swordsmanship.” The better we allow the Word of God to soak into our heart and mind, the more readily we will be able to apply it in all the situations of life. However, we aren’t going to be very effective at that when we’re all stirred up over something. Sometimes we need to say to ourselves very sternly, as David did, “Return to your rest!” Just about every believer has experienced moments of complete rest and peace, and in times of stress we need to get back to that. It’s not like we don’t know what it is! It is when we are at rest in the Lord that we can respond accurately and effectively to every situation, every attack.

This is an extremely timely Word to me right now, because just last night I really snapped at my wife because of the stress I’ve been under, and continue to face. Today and tomorrow are the climax of the stressful events on the schedule, but it doesn’t stop with tomorrow by any means. I need to keep quoting this verse to myself throughout this season, because the Lord has indeed been good to me. The lies of the devil are exactly that, lies, and I am to give them no place in my heart. As I tell others so often, I am to take my eyes, my focus, off of myself and place them firmly on my Lord, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) He’s already done everything, so my job is to abide in Him and let His Spirit guide me and carry me along.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed apply and live out Your Word to me, and not just give it lip service. (James 1:22) I’ll be speaking here at the interdenominational prayer meeting in just over an hour. Help me be fully present and focused, and not distracted by all that is to follow. Help me spend this time in joyful anticipation of what You are going to do in and through me, so that I will give the devil no room at all, but be fully submitted to You. (James 4:7) Thank You. Praise God!

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The Grace of God; December 14, 2021

Posted on December 17, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.

Here we have the reason for this Psalm to be written: to make people think, and grasp the character of the Lord. Here, as in many places in the Old Testament, where the English says “love,” the Japanese says “grace.” Part of that is because love is not such a freely-used term in Japanese culture. Couples, even husband and wife, seldom use the term to or in relation to each other, instead saying “like.” That makes the New Testament’s extensive use of the word all the more shocking to Japanese. However here, I think there are advantages to the term being “grace.” In none of the examples cited in the Psalm is God obligated to be good to those in distress, but He does it because of who He is. At the same time, ignoring Him and turning against Him has disastrous consequences. The last line of this verse has far more punch in Japanese than in English: “Let that wise person hide these things in their heart, and be enlightened.” That “be enlightened” is a command! It is a deep understanding, so deep that the Buddhists use it in talking about a “higher plane of consciousness,” which in noun form is “satori.” Using a different literary style, this verse could be expressed as, “Hey buddy! You think you’re smart? You’d better grasp the grace of God!”

I’ve run into all sorts of mental gymnastics that people do to try to justify themselves and their actions. I’ve done a few myself! The devil loves to train us in such gymnastics, and it’s important to recognize and reject them. We need to be both honest and humble before God, allowing Him to be the arbiter of right and wrong, and not applying the world’s standards – or our own excuses – to such things. That’s a major reason “political correctness” is such an abomination: it replaces God’s standards with human (actually demonic) ones that sound nice but spit in God’s face. I am not to offend needlessly, but I am never to let the world dictate what is right or wrong, but rather cling to God and His Word. It sets my teeth on edge to hear well-meaning people talk about “your truth,” as though there were no absolutes. That is a major push the devil has been making over the past century or so, and it reeks of the Pit. I am not to be proud, but I am not to be a pushover! I am to be a purveyor of grace, but grace is meaningless if there are no absolute standards by which to measure it. I am to seek to grasp what God reveals to me, knowing that He will never speak into my heart something that is in violation of His Word. I am to share what He reveals to me, speaking the truth in love, so that as many as will receive it may be set free from the lying traps of the devil (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for this reminder. I have several formal opportunities to share the Gospel over the next several days. Help me make full use of each one in all humility, so that Your Word through me may accomplish that for which You send it, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Perspective; December 13, 2021

Posted on December 15, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

Continuing from yesterday, the two groups of people in today’s reading are a sharp contrast. Those described here are what we would consider a classic example of people who earned their troubles, but the other group, of sea-going merchants, seems innocent of wrong. They potentially succumbed to greed, but the flip side of that is that commerce benefits many people, and indeed, society as a whole. The problems we experience are often self-inflicted, as in this verse, but sometimes they are just a consequence of living in a fallen world. I am tempted just to repeat what I wrote yesterday, but this is a very important lesson that deserves careful consideration. Just the other day I took part in a Facebook discussion that started from someone who was convinced that God never allows anything in our lives that can’t be for our good, and they were promptly attacked by a deeply wounded person who insisted that either God was not omnipotent or He was not fundamentally good, because of the hurts they had experienced. The problem there is that the second person was, understandably enough, very self-centered on this issue. Like most of us, they were defining “the goodness of God” by their own standards. It’s like a little child, convinced that “Mommy is mean” because she won’t let them have the candy they want. Just yesterday I learned of a woman who buried four husbands before she was 50. None of the circumstances of her various husbands’ deaths were in any way attributable to bad actions on the part of her or her husbands. I can’t imagine that degree of loss! At the same time, she doesn’t blame God, and has a reservoir of experience to draw on in comforting others. Any time we encounter “rough stuff,” we need first to ask God if we had a part in bringing it on, and if so, repent of it immediately. However, if He doesn’t show us a need to repent, we need to submit it to Him and ask Him to use it to better equip us to minister to others in similar circumstances, as His agent of comfort and blessing. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) God won’t waste anything that is given to Him.

I have had some rough spots in life, but the longer I live and the more I experience, the less consequential each one seems. I am totally convinced that “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) I’ll confess that in the moment, I can be distracted from that truth! However, it’s all a matter of perspective. In the moment, all sorts of things can seem “unbearable.” However, as God so clearly told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am never to make light of another person’s difficulties, much less suffering, but I am to speak grace and hope to them, seeking to give them perspective and simply to come alongside them and assure them that I care, and God cares even more.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I think the thing that I dread most is the loss of my wife, but at the same time, I know that’s reciprocal, and she would have more difficulty in navigating the aftermath than I would. As I said, I can’t imagine what it was like for the woman who buried four husbands. Thank You for Your grace, and the assurance that it is indeed sufficient. Help me be an effective instrument of that grace to those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Discipline; December 12, 2021

Posted on December 15, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:15-16 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.

This Psalm is a series of vignettes of people who got into deep trouble either by ignoring God or actively rebelling against Him, and how He saved them when they came to their senses and turned to Him. There are no specifics, either of people or locations, but that is deliberate, because we can all identify with one or more of these ourselves. It’s like Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) The point is not to keep ignoring God, much less run away from Him, but rather to turn to Him in humility. We’ve got to remember that God isn’t mean to us, but He allows things in our lives to mature us and teach us to rely on Him. There are lots of things that aren’t fun in the moment, but if we will respond as God desires and intends, we will discover they bring blessings we couldn’t experience any other way. Like it says in Hebrews, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) Many of the stories in the Old Testament are to teach us what not to do, along with all the stories of God’s grace and mercy. The faster and better we learn our lessons, the easier we will have it!

I feel like God has been remarkably restrained in His discipline of me, and I’m grateful. I have certainly earned some figurative spankings, but they haven’t left scars. I have also gone through some things that weren’t the result of my own misbehavior, but rather that of others. Those haven’t been fun either, but they have taught me to forgive and have matured me in various ways. There have been certain types of problems that have repeated, and I realize that generally indicates I didn’t get a “passing grade” the first time. As a school teacher myself, I’m all too familiar with re-tests! I need to seek God for His answers always, and not presume that I know how to figure things out myself. As I seek to do with my own students, He never tests me on anything He hasn’t taught me, one way or another! I am never to belittle another person’s problems, but I am to seek to help them gain perspective, and above all, to help them turn to God and receive what He desires to give them by and through their circumstances, for their blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. This year’s Christmas season is both familiar and different from past years. Help me receive each thing fresh from You, responding as You intend, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Abortion; December 11, 2021

Posted on December 14, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 106:37-38 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.

There are those who insist that abortion isn’t mentioned in the Bible, but I am convinced this fits perfectly. In fact, some satanists have spoken openly of the “rite” of abortion. There is a deadly pun there to the more openly declared “right” to abortion, which thankfully is probably in the process of being recognized as nonexistent. The recent oral arguments before the Supreme Court rightly pointed out that the justices of a past generation had “made up” the “right” out of whole cloth, in complete violation of the Constitution. Legal niceties aside, it is certainly demonic to tear infants limb from limb, or even to poison them. That a major political party would make that practice a pillar of their platform boggles the imagination, but it is present reality in America. As it says here, that desecrates the land. It’s no wonder America is weakened in so many areas. People in general are very hesitant to attribute anything to spiritual causes, but the Bible certainly doesn’t hesitate to do so, and neither should anyone who claims to believe the Bible. As I really grasped only fairly recently, we aren’t physical beings who happen to have spirits, we are spiritual beings who inhabit bodies. That doesn’t make what we do with our bodies unimportant, but it does mean that the underlying reality is spiritual. The one certainly affects the other, but if we go at it strictly from the physical side we are going to be frustrated at every turn. We need to understand that our stewardship of the physical is a spiritual function and obligation for which we are accountable to God, the Spirit who created us and to whom we belong.

I have far more familiarity with abortion than I would like, and I am deeply grateful for the grace and mercy of God. I have been involved with various people on one side or the other of the practice, and the spiritual element has been very clear. The most frequent motive for abortion has been and is a worship of self, of convenience and pleasure. The consequences have always been tragic, and not just for the child that is sacrificed. I am to keep praying, whatever decision comes from the Supreme Court in June. They won’t abolish the practice, but just send it back to the states. California has already declared that they will become a “sanctuary” for abortion, and welcome “abortion tourism.” How unsurprising, since they are already the world center of pornography! With other believers, I am to keep praying for God’s rule and reign to be established and His will to be done perfectly, just as Jesus told us to do, and that includes submitting myself personally to His Lordship, to do only what He desires. I cannot think that this is a problem “out there,” and fail to be the Lord’s servant, His agent, in everything I touch.

Father, thank You for this very clear reminder. Thank You for what is going on in the Supreme Court right now. I do pray for the justices of the court, that why would adhere to Your justice indeed. That said, I pray even more for a general spirit of repentance to fall on the nation of America, that 2 Chronicles 7:14 may be fulfilled indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Learning from God; December 10, 2021

Posted on December 14, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 106:12-13 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his counsel.

This is so human! We are so prone to rejoice in what God does for us, praising Him at the time – if we even remember to do that – and then in no time forgetting what He has done for us. Looking back over Israel’s history, as this Psalmist is doing, that pattern is easy to see, but we overlook it in ourselves and so repeat it again and again. As has famously been said, those who don’t know history are condemned to repeat it. God never allows us to go through anything that can’t be for our good, but if we don’t learn whatever the lesson was the first time, we’re likely to have to go through it again. Names and places might change, but the lesson itself is essentially the same. As has been said, God is far more interested in our character than our comfort. He’s not mean. Those who insist He is are generally those who most stubbornly resist learning what He’s trying to teach them. Andrae Crouch’s song, Through It All, is a beautiful testimony of someone who learned the lessons God was teaching him, who let go of all excuses and grew as a son and a servant. Not many years before he graduated to heaven Andrae was on a Bill Gaither video, and I was impressed by someone who wasn’t interested in being the star, but who was willing to testify to all that God had brought him through and done for him. Too often we do as Israel did, being proud and feeling entitled because of our “special status” with God, not realizing that absolutely everything is because of His grace, and not because we have earned it. When we look back over our lives, as we all should do occasionally, we need to recognize God’s hand of grace and mercy in it all, and not only give Him praise at the realization, but also remember it going forward, whatever circumstances we go through. As it says in verse one, “His love endures forever.” (The Japanese says, “His grace endures forever.”)

This is my life in spades. I’ve been incredibly blessed, but all too often I’ve taken it for granted or felt like I’d somehow earned it. How stupid! As the old proverb has it, “We grow too soon old and too late smart.” A big part of that is that wisdom is very different from intelligence, and wisdom is far more important and valuable. As Proverbs famously declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) My focus has to be on knowing God and following Him in joyful obedience, whatever He takes me through. Just recently, lots of little irritations were piling up and I was getting quite out of sorts, and then I remembered a friend who has been given a very serious cancer diagnosis, and his wife is already a cancer survivor. I started praying for them, and my mood shifted dramatically! Like the Israelites, I need to learn perspective, gratitude, and obedience. On my own I will mess up, but God is able to straighten me out in spite of myself, and He is to be trusted. (Philippians 1:6)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for this fairly intense schedule I have right now. Thank You for enabling me to record the outlines for the messages for Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday. That Thursday one was really hanging over me. Help me remember that it is You who will carry me along, and that my job is simply to be humble, submitted, and obedient. May I be diligent and faithful in my part in it all, and may Your will be done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Focus; December 9, 2021

Posted on December 12, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 105:1-3 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

It’s hard to know where to stop when quoting this Psalm! It is essentially a litany of God’s acts on behalf of His covenant people, with this as the introduction. As comes out many other places in the Old Testament, a major reason for this recitation is to let the peoples of other nations know about the greatness of the Lord. The Jewish people have a very spotty record of following that pattern, but Jesus certainly confirmed it in the Great Commission, (Matthew 28:18-20) and He said that it would be done by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) For that to happen, however, God’s people need to be aware of God, His grace and power, themselves. That’s what this introduction is all about. The Japanese has a rather unique phrase here that may or may not agree with the Hebrew, but it is certainly different from the English. Where the NIV says, “tell of all His wonderful acts,” the Japanese says, “cover/hide your thoughts in His wonderful acts.” That to me is a very good image of what it means to meditate on God, His character and His Word. Our imaginations come up with all sorts of thoughts, but the more we are aware of God, the more the thoughts that are at variance with His thoughts fade into the background. The devil is constantly trying to distract us, so it takes an act of our will to focus on God. However, if we will do that we will know His joy in a way that those who don’t know Him can’t imagine.

I am certainly prone to distractions! My interests are past counting, and my mind flies all over the place. The blessing of that is that I’m not likely to be bored, but the downside is a lack of focus and follow-through. I’ve got plenty of room to grow in covering my thoughts with those of my Lord. I don’t hesitate to talk with others about the latest advances in science and medicine, or actually almost any subject under the sun, but I need to be more focused on talking about the Lord and what He has done. The confirmation that I had indeed been baptized in the Holy Spirit came through my talking with a total stranger about Jesus, and Acts 1:8 came to mind, but I’ve got to remember that’s not to be a merely occasional activity. When my thoughts are filled with the presence of my Lord, my words are going to be as well. I’m not to be “so heavenly minded I’m no earthly good,” but my focus indeed needs to be on God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The next two weeks are certainly packed with opportunities to talk about You and what You have done. Thank You for giving me the outlines for the messages for this Sunday and then the prayer meeting on Wednesday. Thank You for the start on the outline for the big Christmas service on Thursday. I ask for guidance and anointing as I continue to work on that. Thank You for the class Christmas parties I’ll be holding, and of course there’s the service here on the 19th, with it all culminating in the Christmas Eve candlelight service on the 24th. Help me be so focused on You that all of these are a joy and not a burden, effectively communicating the Gospel to those who need to know it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hubris; December 8, 2021

Posted on December 11, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

For once the NIV, along with the footnote alternate translation, gives more insight than the Japanese. The Japanese goes with the main translation, saying, “The Lord made us. We belong to Him.” However, it’s that alternate translation, “He made us, and not we ourselves,” that strikes me most strongly at the moment. That is of course the traditional, KJV translation and so is perhaps suspect in terms of accuracy of source material, but it still strikes at the heart of human hubris. We don’t like to admit that we are created beings, that we don’t have ultimate power over ourselves. In literary terms, I happen to be a fan of science fiction, and this is a common theme, both from a “mankind can do anything” perspective and from a “hubris will destroy us” perspective. The first of those is far more common! Human beings are indeed pretty remarkable. As David noted, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” (Psalm 8:4-6) That’s pretty exalted status, any way you look at it! Even so, we are still created beings. Right now we are working actively on Artificial Intelligence, and scientists have just announced the creation of self-replicating biological robots, starting with frog cells. However, all of those things start with what God has created. Even if we were to eventually come up with “artificial people,” as science fiction posits, we can never create life from nothing, the way God did with us. We are back to what Proverbs so famously declares: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) If we fail to start with the awareness that we are created beings, fully accountable to our Creator, then we are guaranteed to go off the rails.

As I said, I like science fiction, and I love the possibilities that God has laid out for us, but by God’s grace I am fully aware of the dangers of cutting Him out of the picture. I have had more than enough experience with pride, with hubris, and I know it leads to destruction. Psalm 100 has been familiar to me for as long as I can remember, and I have sung various musical arrangements of parts and all of it, but more than that, I want to do what it says, living a life of gratitude and obedience, and not one of presumption and pride. I am not to discount the abilities God has given me, or given mankind as a whole, but I must remember that He alone is God. After all, it was wanting to be like God that tripped up Eve! (Genesis 3:5)

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace toward me. Help me live in constant awareness of You, giving You the love and obedience You desire and the praise and gratitude You deserve, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Worship; December 7, 2021

Posted on December 11, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 95:1-3 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.

When you realize just who God is, what He is, you can’t help but thank and praise Him – unless you are in active rebellion against Him. I really think the biggest reason so many “worship” services are so dead is that those gathered aren’t really focused on the Creator of the universe, the One who loved them so much He sent His Son to save them. Tradition and structure take the place of relationship, and all life departs. If congregations and those who lead them would stop for a moment and really consider why they gather, why they do each of the things they call “worship,” I think a lot would change, and for the better. Sometimes an accurate appreciation of God is going to result in great solemnity, because of His sheer magnificence. Sometimes it is going to result in overflowing gratitude and joy, because of His amazing grace and provision. Sometimes it is going to result in delight and even hilarity, because He is just so good. However, none of those things will happen if we’re just worshiping our own little image of Him, essentially practicing idolatry, whatever we call it, because we have lost sight of God Himself. Throughout history there have been traditionalists – of various traditions – who have insisted that those who didn’t worship as they did had missed the mark, or were even heretics. The problem is, those “new” forms of worship quickly become solidified into traditions themselves, and so lose the reality of worship. It’s not that any of the forms are wrong, it’s that they need to be real, relating to God as He is and not just as we imagine Him to be. That’s one of the marvelous things about heaven: all worship there will be real, and it will be constant, because everything we do will be acknowledging God as He is.

I am deeply grateful to have been introduced to the Charismatic Movement in 1973, because it opened up vistas of worship and relationship that I hadn’t imagined before. At the same time, I have seen that even such things as that can become ossified, set in stone, as people get into ruts and build traditions. This church is a case in point. We have been operating as a congregation for 37 years now, and the only things that are still here from the first are Cathy and me! We have definitely created traditions, some of them very good, but some that are peripheral. As the pastor, I need to hold all of those things loosely, not insisting things be done “my way,” but recognizing that the Holy Spirit can use others as well or better than He can use me. That’s not to say that I am to abrogate the responsibility the Lord has given me as a shepherd, but it is very much to say that we need to keep moving away from being pastor-centered and really move into being totally Christ-centered. Thankfully, I feel that we are making progress in that direction. I need to be sure that my own worship is both fresh and real, not falling back on tradition just because it’s easy, but not rejecting tradition for the sake of being new, either. I too need to see God as He is, and not just as I have always imagined Him to be.

Father, thank You for this reminder, particularly in this extremely tradition-encrusted season. Help me worship You in spirit and in truth, even as I sing the Christmas songs that I’ve sung countless times. May my own appreciation for Your amazing grace transmit to those around me, so that they too may be drawn into a saving relationship with You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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