Several features of the Christmas story as recorded in the opening chapters of Luke are suggestive of practical Christian responses at this special season of the year.
Attention this week focuses on the song of Mary, which she voiced upon visiting her kinswoman, Elizabeth: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46–47). These words of Mary call our attention to what was happening in her inner spirit. We might describe her words as godward rejoicing.
Discipline of praise
As we journey through the Christmas season, we will do well to find ourselves engaged intentionally in godward rejoicing. The discipline of praise will serve to lift our attention godward, thereby taking our eyes off the challenging experience brought on by the pandemic and all the life adjustments it has precipitated.
While we do not abandon petitioning and interceding prayer that should be part of our reaction to the spreading virus, we do need those times when the eyes of our souls are lifted above what is happening to us and around us. If we choose to focus on aspects of our lives that inspire praise and rejoicing, we will be able to bear the heavy burdens and challenges of this year’s Christmas season.
The weeks leading up to Christmas are often a time for making lists. We may make lists for sending Christmas card greetings and buying Christmas gifts. We may create lists of tasks for making our Christmas traditions come alive once again for our families. We may make grocery lists to ensure we have what we want for the holiday meal times.
Most important list
Perchance, one of the most important lists to construct this year is that of the many reasons we have for Christmas rejoicing. We might begin such a list with the event that put a song in Mary’s heart, the coming of the Savior. We might enlarge this entry with some of the benefits that come to us because of having invited Christ into our lives. We would probably list not only present blessings but also future, eternal ones that await us.
Maybe list-making is not for you. Instead, rejoicing might attach to having familiar Christmas hymns playing in our homes. Simply recalling past occasions when we felt God’s nearness during Christmas can trigger a fresh season of godward rejoicing.
Next week, Theology 101 will turn attention from godward rejoicing to inward pondering.
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