Merry Christmas!

I suppose someone will read this sometime before December 25.
May this season be joyous. Let God remind you of the reason for the coming of His Son, our Savior, whose birth we celebrate - that is the best cause for joy!
May you have time to share with family. Have fun with your children. Talk to your siblings, parents and other relatives, recalling good times and reminding one another about how God "sent His only begotten Son."
I would love to think my sons, Scott and Tim, with their families, Katie and Martigan, and Kristin and Sophie, would see this ... "I love you all and pray your Christmas is wonderful."
I will talk to you (and text you) and make this more personal. Besides which, I cannot be certain you will read this.
Many of us have to truly rely on the grace of God to thoroughly celebrate. Heartache haunts us in numerous ways: we lost a loved one to death, we live far from family and have only the unsatisfying electronic media through which to communicate or sickness, poverty or some other trouble is on our heals and worming their ways into our hearts.
While we live in this world, there is no guarantee that tribulation won't touch us. As those who trust in Jesus, we have God's strength on which to rely, His joy to strengthen us, His peace to surround us and comfort us.
I believe ... and have experienced its reality ... that God's love and mercy are tangible.
He may send someone to physically be with you and provide emotional support. At the other end of the spectrum, God often reveals through His word an amazing sense of comfort.
Anyone who views me from the outside (as most of us see others around us, oblivious to what is going on inside them), may think I haven't a care in the world. It's Christmas, and I have everything one could want to make the season joyful.
I am RICHLY blessed, but I am human. I have lacks that may not be obvious but exist nonetheless.
Do I expect to have a blast this year? Yes! I could be wrong ... something could go awry. But the joy of the season is Jesus.
Secondarily, we get joy from family and friends.
And we can share happy experiences ... good worship, caroling, parties, dinner, watching "The Nativity Story,"  "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street" (NOT "A Christmas Story") and, yes, football.
Even giving and getting gifts can be great ... if you steel yourself for the potential for disappointment when all you wanted from Christmas doesn't satisfy when you get them.
Be happy with the perfect gift ... Jesus.

I'll Take All the Stringed Instruments I Can Get!

Another strange issue that creates division (Oh! How I hate to hear of such among the children of God.) in churches is the use of instruments in the sanctuary during worship.
I have only one complaint about instruments - I don't have enough of them at our church!
I'll take any guitars, drums, horns, cymbals, etc. you want to provide. I'm out of practice in dealing with instrumental performance BUT I believe I could relearn quickly how to do it should God prompt the musicians to join in and they say, "Yes," to his call.

Some people actually are completely satisfied with a piano and or organ being the only instruments used. Some churches don't even use instrumental soundtracks, preferring using their keyboard players to accompany every part of the singing - congregational, choir, ensemble or solo.
Some people - and some churches - believe nothing but the human voice should be heard in a service. Their justification - the New Testament, they say, never mentions musical instruments in gatherings of the church AND they limit their form of worship to a New Testament guide, forgoing all the scripture in the Old Testament.
They certainly cannot dissuade the use of instrumental music in worship if they read the Old Testament, especially the Psalms. Among the seven Hebrews words that are translated "praise" in English is the word "zamar."
Zamar means "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments."

Psalm 21:13: "Be exalted O Lord, in Thine own strength, so will we sing and praise (zamar) Thy power."

To praise the Lord is a willful decision. I must decide that God is worthy of my worship and, whether I feel like it or not, I lift my voice in song, chant or shout, I lift my hands, ecstatically or in supplication, or I clap, dance or spin in joyful response to Who He is and what He has done and is doing.

Praise is also an emotional response to the character and mercy of God. If I truly understand who God is and what He does, I WILL feel joy, peace and exultation. It will erupt from deep within me in some form of praise.

I am a singer. I don't play an instrument (one of the things I regret most is never disciplining myself to learn to play something). I don't regret being a singer; I am grateful to God for the talent, the anointing and the opportunities He gives.

Yet, instrumental music more fully expresses the joy I have in the Lord than anything else. My songs are completed by the use of instruments. I am blessed by the way the instrumental arrangements enhance the vocal lines.

And I love the unadorned, a cappella sounds. Both fit in worship. Each has its place. Certainly, singing in the Spirit - the anointed harmonizing of human voices yielded in uninhibited song directed toward the Almighty - is as glorious as any praise in which I have participated!

In most worship services, I want to have any and all instruments possible available. And if sons and daughters of God who play aren't available, I'll be blessed to use soundtracks.

I'll worship in "truth" - basing instrumental use on the word of God. I'll worship in "spirit" - focusing whatever is done on glorifying and thanking God and proclaiming the salvation that is through Jesus Christ to whoever hears.