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Instruments of God

Yesterday if you joined us for worship you had the opportunity to hear and participate in our annual Christmas Cantata. (If you weren't able to join us yesterday, then I invite you to contact Mark McKee or Andy Lorimer to get a copy of the performance). I really enjoyed and appreciated this year's cantata, as I know many of you did as well. Cheryl and Patrick did such a phenomenal job (as always) of readying and preparing the choir and the musicians.

As I listened to the songs and the readings yesterday, I thought about something Walter Wangerin Jr. wrote in his great book of meditations for Advent and Christmas, Preparing for Jesus. Wangerin reminds us that God is the music and that we are the instruments that God uses to make music to the world. Wangerin was speaking specifically of the individuals in the Christmas story who find themselves singing (and there is much singing in Luke's story of Jesus' coming and birth): Simeon's song and Mary's solo, the angels crying out in the fields and Elizabeth singing a blessing over the expected Messiah.

As I watched and listened yesterday, I gave such thanks to God for the many people who let themselves be instruments to proclaim God's grace and goodness. Even now, I'm still thankful - particularly to Jorie Moss, Bradley King and Terrie Noble. All three have such incredible voices, and it is such a blessing to hear them sing ... to see them using their talents. They, like all who participated and performed in the cantata yesterday, became God's instruments.

Do you know that you are God's instrument as well? For some of us, that is hard to believe. Some of you have been given a singing voice like mine: an instrument that seems like it needs some serious repair or tuning! Well, that may be. But, to each and every one of us, God has given unique gifts - gifts of voice or vision or money or strength or wisdom. And God longs to use us in some fashion to further His Kingdom and His will in the world.

This Christmas season is largely about remembering that blessedness comes through obedience to God's will. That's how it was with Mary and Joseph. They were faithful to what God said was going to happen (even when they could hardly believe it was going to happen), and their faithfulness allowed them to become instruments of God's grace.

So, what might God be saying to you during these days? Have you taken the time to consider what God's purpose is for your life? It could be any number of things: singing in a choir, giving money to help the poor, giving your time to sit and listen to a friend.

May all of us become instruments of God in some form or fashion ... to the glory of God in the highest heaven.

Wes
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