Sharing the Song of Salvation

Whew, we made it all the way to the 12th day of Christmas! (and only 2 days after Christmas is over--sort of reflective of my life!) "On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me 12 drummers drumming." I immediately thought of one of my favorite Christmas books (and movies) "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." The Grinch complained in agony about the Who's Christmas celebration: "...all the Who girls and boys would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!" Boy, wonder what he'd think about 12 drummers drumming?

Sure, drums are mighty loud, but isn't there just something joyful about the sound of drumming? It's hard not to start tapping your toes when you hear a talented drummer really going at it! (just maybe not in my house) And what a difference drums make to any song or orchestral piece. You might not really notice their part, since often it's just a part of the musical piece--and a background part at that. But take those drums away from the piece, and the music is clearly lacking something and loses much of it's power and effect.

In this song, the 12 drummers represent the band of believers--including each of us--who can and must sing the song of salvation to the world. Like the drummers, we all have a part to play and without each of us, something will be missing. What a song we have to share! How can we not share it with joy and gratitude to a desperate world?

Just think of the joy of all the music of Christmas--I'm ready to put on Christmas CD's at the beginning of October! And so often when I hear certain Christmas carols, they take me back to certain clear, precious memories from my past. Just the other day on Christmas Eve, I heard the carol "Lo How a Rose ere Blooming." I was immediately taken back to all the Christmas Eve nights where my family would gather around an old organ in our house, and my wonderful sister, Jane, would play all the old carols and we would all sing along. This carol was always one of our very favorites--and Jane always played this one particularly brilliantly, I must say! What a gift we have in Christmas music and how much it adds to our celebration of our Savior's birth.

Join the band to share the stupendous Good News of the Gospel! Again, Dr. Suess had it right. The part of Christmas the Grinch hated the most was the Who's Christmas song: "And THEN They'd do something he liked least of al! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing. They'd stand hand-in-hand. And the Who's would start singing!"

Certain he would stop Christmas by stealing every last visage of Christmas, the Grinch eagerly listened to hear the sound of the Who's weeping and moaning at their missing presents and food and decorations. "But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it was merry! Very! He stared down in Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other it came just the same!"

O rats, I just have to keep going now! "'It came without ribbons! It came without tags! it came without packages, boxes or bags!' And he puzzled 3 hours, till his puzzler was sore, Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! 'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps...means a little bit more!'"

Aren't you glad?! Aren't you overwhelmed with gratitude that Christmas has nothing to do with creating the Martha Stewart meal or the Norman Rockwell home and memories or the most perfect gifts for family and friends? Because we all (well, at least me) fail at all that every single year! I have yet to come even remotely close to my ridiculous expectations for the marvelous, spiritual, organized, perfect Christmas that exists only in magazines and my mind.

It will NEVER happen. And that's okay, because we're not called to create the perfect Christmas. We're called to join the band and share the joyous song of salvation to a dark world desperate for the Truth. We're called to love others with the love of Christ. We're called to forgive and forbear in the grace of Christ. We're called to be fruitful for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We're called to be joyous and grateful in sharing the song of salvation every single day of our lives.

So, Christmas is over. But the song never ends. And we have the joyous privilege of being a part of the band. So get singing. Get humming! Get drumming. Get into the band! "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!" (Ps.100:1-2) To our Savior, worthy of all our singing and sharing, be the glory.