Maybe it's this kind of indwelling that the songsmith had in mind when he wrote the beloved hymn, "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel," in the 1800s... Asking God to come, to be with us, to ransom captives. I'd like to imagine that the writer's "big moment," his divine Emmanuel-God-With-Us-Christmas-Moment, came as he strolled down a quiet cobblestone street, lit with golden lamppost light, white flurries of snow swirling against a pitch-black Christmas sky... (I'm telling you, I was born in the wrong century. This should explain why Christmas pop songs like "Santa Baby" and "All I Want For Christmas Is You" make me cringe just a tad). There's so much more to be said about the wondrous coming of our Savior. And hymns say it best.
I started thinking back on some of these moments in my life. Sometimes His presence came with serenity, with the glow of advent candles or twinkling of lights. Or sometimes He entered in the midst of the magic and energy of laughter shared with family around the tree. Or, let's be honest... I cry every time Linus tells Charlie Brown "what Christmas is all about." Even a 30-minute children's Christmas TV special can bring Jesus back into our hearts and minds. But this year was different. I kid you not, this year, the overwhelming love of the true meaning of Christmas came to me... on a Tuesday morning in the Rise-N-Shine Donuts drive-thru, in Lubbock, Texas.
I'm an ad writer at the local newspaper and I spend a GREAT amount of my time in my car, driving around town, interviewing lovely people for business features and snapping a quick picture or two. I love my job so much. I have to stop right here and thank God for that. Anyway, so far this December (all eight days of it), I haven't really been in the Christmas mood. I'm not sure why. I think it's because I've been too concerned with this year's burdens and trials... You know, my usual feeble attempts to carry my worries, failures, troubles, and disappointments on my own; rather than laying it all at the cross. We all think we're so capable, don't we?
Until Tuesday, I really hadn't given much thought to Christmas, other than Oh my gosh! I haven't bought a single present yet! By the way, that is still my current Christmas shopping status, save for one set of Backyardigan's thermoses (Isaac, I hope you're not reading my blog, baby.)
So, Tuesday morning found me hungry and bah-humbug, waiting in the drive-thru line at the Rise-N-Shine Donuts near my house. And, because it's Lubbock's best donut shop (Krispy Kreme is overrated!), the line was quite long. But I didn't mind! I was listening intently to the radio, because SARA GROVES, one of my all-time favorite Christian singer/songwriters, was being interviewed on the morning show! With my order placed (two kolaches, half a dozen donuts, and a cranberry juice) and Sara Groves on the radio live, I knew that JOY of all kinds was on its way. Glazed and sprinkled joy; worship music joy. That would be good enough for me, but I was due to receive so much more...
Sara was announcing a FREE album download and explained that it was a very special recording. It was a concert that she and her band performed a year ago... at a women's prison in Illinois. She explained how fortunate they were to be able to worship with these inmates, since prison concerts don't happen often. You know, unless you're Johnny Cash. Well, Sara wasn't signing "Folsom Prison Blues" or "Walk the Line." She and her band, with the voices of many incarcerated women, sang Christmas hymns and worship songs.
They played a clip on the radio. And that's when the moment came for me. The pure and awesome weight of glory, the meaning of Christmas.
I was next in line to pay at the Rise-N-Shine Donuts drive-thru window... and when I heard the song I LOST IT, emotionally. To hear those women singing, those captive, broken women with captive, broken pasts praising the Lord... I couldn't help but cry. It was so beautiful. It's quite possible that many of them are serving life sentences without parole. For many of them, this could have been their tenth, twentieth, or fiftieth Christmas in prison. With that in mind, it amazed me that they remembered the words to the hymns and sang them in perfect harmony, a capella... Maybe they hadn't held a hymnal or attended a Christmas candlelight service since they were young and free. Perhaps they'd never understood Christmas at all, until a sweet, redheaded singer made time in her busy tour to bring Jesus to them. (Thanks, Sara Groves.)
I don't know what they did to land themselves in prison. I'm not implying that they should even be free... But I can say, that it touched my heart to remember that the holy birth of Jesus Christ and ransom He paid on the cross for our sins, for THEIR sins, means that we as captives, all of us, are free in ways that we never should be. And that is why we sing.
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
I've posted this widget below, where you can listen to the songs. The track "Carols" features the clip that I heard on the radio. You can also enter your email address and zip code to download the album.
Enjoy! And may God dwell in your heart this Christmas season :)
