Wonderful Name

I've lost count of how many Christmas musicals I have participated in over the years, whether as a singer, a pianist or organist, or as director.  Everything from Handel's Messiah to a children's musical called Three Wise Men and a Baby!  So I guess it comes as no surprise that music is a big part of my celebration during the Christmas season.  I love participating in and listening to big choral productions.  There's Christmas music playing pretty much non-stop throughout the day.  I often stop in the middle of the day's tasks to sit at the piano and play a few Christmas tunes, and I'm often singing, whether aloud or just in my head, a favorite Christmas song.

Today I woke up with a favorite song playing over and over in my head.  I first heard this song more than thirty years ago as part of a Christmas musical we were doing in our church.  I loved it then and I have loved it ever since.........Wonderful Name, Jesus!  That just sums it all up, doesn't it?

In the chaos of the world we live in.  In the midst of the unspeakable tragedy of murder of innocent children in Newtown.  With trillion dollar debt and budget deficits and fiscal cliffs.  In the middle of sickness and heartache and turmoil in daily life.  No matter what is going on in your world or mine, what a comfort to know that Jesus came.  That His is the Name above every name.  That we can call on that Name no matter what is going on in our lives! 

The challenge for all of us today is focus.  To turn our focus away from all the hustle and bustle, all the chaos and busyness of life in the modern world, and to turn our focus toward that baby in a manger in Bethlehem.  That baby who is no longer in a manger.  That baby who grew up.  Who died that we might live.  Who didn't stay dead!  Who was resurrected, and who has ascended to the Father.  Who will one day return for His own! 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

We only have one week until Christmas Day.  Perhaps this is a good time to reexamine our Christmas traditions and exactly how we celebrate the birth of Christ.  Are we really celebrating Christ, or only giving lip service to that while we get caught up in elves or Santa or other "stuff"?  My prayer is that we might all focus our celebration on that Wonderful Name.....Jesus!  That we might truly celebrate the Christ of Christmas......and not only in December!

Wonderful Name

Mary was the first to hear it, name that came from heaven above;
Name that raises souls from darkness, this the only name worth singing of.

Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!

Heaven touched His name with glory, precious name of Jesus, our King;
In God’s Word is told the story, of this wondrous name the angels sing!

 

Wonderful name, Jesus!  Wonderful name, Jesus!

Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!

 

-Roger Strader