posts on worship
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The first Noel sung by angelic multitudes was offered to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay. But why Noel? What is a Noel anyway?
I have heard my fair share of horrid arrangements of “Mary Did You Know?”, with all their vamping and belty vocals, yet each time I listen to the song, I cannot help but tear up when I think of that young girl in ancient Israel.
I know that it’s fashionable to be annoyed at the Christmas decorations that pop up just after Halloween, but yesterday as Eloïse and I were doing some pre-Thanksgiving meal prep, I went all in. We turned on the Christmas music and danced to “Oh Holy Night” while cranberries popped gleefully on the stovetop and pie finished in the oven…
Eloise's Christmas pajamas announce gleefully, "Joy to the World!" and I hum the rest of the song to myself...
Reposted from Cornerstone West LA. I recently had the privilege to travel to Paris, where the top of my must-see list was the Sainte Chapelle. I confess that I love to visit old cathedrals when I travel. I am deeply moved by the intentionality of their artistry and design.
It's a quiet Saturday on the coast of Southern California, and a sunny beach day is our gift to the visiting inlaws. The kids dance with delight in the shallowest fingers of the waves, their shovels and buckets abandoned before me. I am charged with guarding the blanket, which is my own delight. My black yoga pants draw in the sun and its warmth prickles my skin, the ocean breeze a balancing cool on my face. Familiar sounds. Familiar smells. I gaze out to infinity.
I do miss singing. With life as it is lately, there aren't a ton of opportunities for me to really belt at the top of my lungs like I might have in high school or college. There were more places for that, then, and there was less NPR.
Today I sit in a small garden on the campus where I work, admiring the blue skies and imagining the beautiful scene above them. While my family, miles away, attends my grandfather's funeral, I join them in spirit.
My car speakers are on a regular loop this week that includes “Jesus is our Guide,” “He is The Light,” and “I’m Trusting You,” a song that opens with a growling lion and monumental drumbeat. While 20-something me would have rolled her eyes in musical elitist disdain, I could not be happier to learn the dance moves and sing along with my children about how God makes a way in the wilderness.